Vietnam hosts Myanmar junta leader for state visit as rights group documents deepening military and surveillance ties

Mizzima

Justice For Myanmar says Vietnam is deepening its financial and surveillance support for the Myanmar military junta through the military-linked Mytel telecom network, as Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing prepares for an official visit to Vietnam from 4 to 6 September at the invitation of President To Lam.

The visit includes bilateral talks with To Lam and a Myanmar-Vietnam business forum, and follows recent trips by Min Aung Hlaing to Russia, Belarus and Thailand as he seeks broader international recognition since taking the presidency this year. Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung had visited Naypyidaw on 26 August, co-chairing the 10th Vietnam-Myanmar Joint Committee meeting, where the two sides agreed to expand defence and security cooperation.

According to Justice For Myanmar, Vietnam’s largest investment in Myanmar remains Mytel, a telecom operator jointly owned by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence-controlled Viettel Global and the junta-linked Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). The group’s analysis of Mytel’s internal financial projections estimates the junta could earn over US$700 million in dividends over ten years from its stake. Mytel also runs on the military’s fibre network and has installed towers inside military bases, several in arms-manufacturing compounds, the group said.

Mytel has faced US Commerce Department export restrictions, while MEC is under sanctions from Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. Justice For Myanmar also says Mytel has adopted Chinese-made internet-monitoring technology from Geedge Networks, giving the junta expanded capacity to track internet users nationwide.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung called on Vietnam to end its business and military ties with the Myanmar junta, saying Australia, Canada, the EU, UK and US should respond with sanctions against the companies and individuals sustaining the relationship.