Norwegian authorities have charged the state-controlled telecommunications company Telenor with complicity in crimes against humanity and violations of sanctions in Myanmar, following the company’s transfer of sensitive customer data to the country’s military junta after the 2021 coup.
Police and security services in Oslo conducted a raid on Telenor’s headquarters on Wednesday morning as part of the investigation. According to officials, Telenor Myanmar repeatedly provided historical traffic data on customers to the military regime between 2021 and 2022, during a period marked by widespread abuses against civilians.
The military coup in Myanmar occurred in February 2021, when General Min Aung Hlaing’s forces ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Human rights groups report that in the year following the takeover, junta forces killed more than 1,500 people and detained over 12,000, frequently confiscating mobile devices to extract personal information through searches and interrogations.
Following the coup, Telenor wrote off its full $782 million investment in Myanmar and sold its local operations in March 2022. The sale included sanctions-hit surveillance equipment, an action Norwegian authorities say lacked approval from the Norwegian foreign ministry, constituting a breach of sanctions.
Norwegian police indicated that the charges relate to the period between the coup and the completion of the sale, focusing on the sharing of customer data and the transfer of restricted equipment. However, they confirmed that no individual employees of Telenor have been charged or are under investigation at this point.
Telenor responded to the allegations by expressing its commitment to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations. The company emphasized the difficult position it faced following the coup, noting that military authorities threatened employees with imprisonment, torture, or the death penalty if they failed to comply with orders to disclose data. Telenor stated it had no viable alternative and prioritized the safety of its workers amid a volatile environment.
The case highlights the complex challenges faced by international businesses operating in countries under military rule, particularly when pressured to comply with authorities implicated in human rights violations. Norwegian officials continue to investigate the extent of Telenor’s actions during the sensitive post-coup period in Myanmar.