AAMIJ Investigation
Myanmar’s military junta announced in state-controlled newspapers yesterday that all mobile phone IMEI numbers must be registered nationwide. Authorities claim the policy is intended to prevent the use of counterfeit phones and ensure that lost or stolen devices cannot be used.
However, an investigation by AAMIJ suggests the move is part of a broader surveillance system designed to track and arrest individuals involved in the country’s resistance movement.
According to evidence gathered through long-term investigation, registering IMEI numbers allows the military to identify the precise location of targeted mobile phones and locate individuals in real time. Sources and documented cases indicate that the system has already been used to arrest members of the revolutionary movement.
🔴What is an IMEI number?
IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a 15-digit unique identification number assigned to every mobile phone. Similar to a personal identification number for individuals, the IMEI serves as a unique identity for each device.
Telecommunications networks use the number to identify devices connected to their systems, and it can also be used to verify whether a phone is genuine.
How IMEI numbers can be used for tracking
Investigations by AAMIJ indicate that the military can use IMEI numbers in several ways to monitor and control mobile devices.
🟡Tracking device location
Even without internet access, mobile phones constantly connect to nearby cell towers when they are switched on. These connections allow telecom operators to determine the approximate location of a device.
Because the IMEI number uniquely identifies the phone itself, not just the SIM card — the device can be tracked regardless of which SIM card is inserted.
Sources familiar with telecommunications monitoring say this allows authorities to track a device as long as it connects to the mobile network.
🟡Blocking devices
Telecommunications operators can also block devices by placing their IMEI numbers on a blacklist.Once blacklisted, a phone cannot connect to any mobile network and becomes unusable with any SIM card.
🟡Surveillance of communications
IMEI identification can also assist authorities in monitoring phone calls and SMS messages associated with a device.
🟡Identifying users
When IMEI data is linked to personal information such as identity documents collected during phone purchases, authorities can determine who is using a specific device.This allows security forces to identify and target individuals associated with that phone.
🔴Arrests linked to IMEI tracking
According to AAMIJ’s investigation, the use of IMEI tracking to locate members of the resistance began in Yangon in 2024.
Two cases documented by the organization suggest the system has already been used in arrest operations.
🟡Case 1
In late 2024, soldiers arrived at the apartment of a young revolutionary in a downtown township in Yangon at around 10 PM and arrested him.
According to a close associate, the military located the individual through IMEI tracking technology. For security reasons, AAMIJ is withholding the exact township where the arrest occurred.
🟡Case 2
In another incident, the military attempted to locate and arrest a young individual using IMEI tracking.The individual reportedly avoided arrest after turning off his mobile phone and going into hiding.He later handed the phone to an AAMIJ reporter as evidence.
🔴How the military obtained IMEI data
AAMIJ’s investigation found that as early as 2024, the military quietly instructed major phone retailers in Yangon to collect personal information from customers purchasing mobile phones. Retailers were reportedly required to record identity documents and other personal data linked to the devices being sold. As a result, large amounts of device ownership information may already be in the possession of the military authorities.
🔴Precision of IMEI tracking
Experts say IMEI-based tracking can be highly effective when combined with telecommunications network data. Unlike SIM-card tracking, which can be bypassed by switching SIM cards, the IMEI identifies the device itself. Once the phone is switched on and connected to the mobile network, authorities can determine its location through network records.
🔴Who provides this technology?
Investigations indicate that some of the surveillance technologies used in Myanmar’s telecommunications networks were originally obtained from foreign companies. Documents reviewed earlier by Reuters show that Israeli surveillance firm Cognyte Software Ltd won a tender to supply lawful interception technology to the state-owned telecom operator Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) shortly before the February 2021 military coup. The system allows authorities to intercept phone calls, monitor SMS messages, and track users through telecommunications networks. Human rights groups later raised concerns that such surveillance technology could be used by the military to monitor activists, journalists, and political opponents. In recent years, additional telecommunications infrastructure and technical support have also been linked to technology providers from other countries, including Chinese companies such as Huawei.
Source: Reuters / VOA News
As Myanmar’s military continues expanding its digital surveillance capabilities, the mandatory registration of mobile phone IMEI numbers could significantly increase the risks faced by activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens using mobile devices.The findings of this investigation indicate that linking device identities with personal information may allow authorities to track individuals more easily through the country’s telecommunications networks, potentially enabling targeted arrests and broader monitoring of the public.
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