Norwegian police have opened an investigation into Telenor over its former operations in Myanmar, including allegations that the telecom company may have aided and abetted crimes against humanity.
The investigation covers Telenor’s activities in Myanmar following the military coup of February 2021 and until the company sold its Myanmar subsidiary in March 2022.
Norwegian police and the country’s security service, PST, searched Telenor’s headquarters in Fornebu, Oslo, on Tuesday as part of the investigation. The case also includes suspected violations of Norway’s sanctions legislation.
According to Norwegian police, Telenor Myanmar repeatedly provided historical customer traffic data to Myanmar’s military authorities during the period.
The authorities have said the investigation concerns whether the disclosure of such information contributed to serious abuses committed against civilians by the military regime.
Telenor has rejected the suggestion that it had a meaningful choice in complying with the military authorities’ demands.
“Our employees risked imprisonment, torture or the death penalty if the military authorities’ orders were not complied with,” Telenor said in a statement. The company said it believed it could not put its employees’ lives at risk.
Investigation also concerns surveillance equipment
A separate part of the case concerns Telenor’s exit from Myanmar.
Norwegian authorities are investigating whether the sale of Telenor Myanmar included sanctioned surveillance equipment and whether the company had obtained the necessary approval from Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Telenor sold its Myanmar operation in March 2022, following growing pressure over the military regime’s demands for access to customer information.
The company said no individuals have been charged or are under investigation. Telenor also said it has been in dialogue with Norwegian prosecutors for a long time and has provided extensive documentation and information.
“We will, of course, cooperate fully with the police and help ensure that the case is thoroughly examined,” Telenor said.
The investigation follows years of scrutiny of Telenor’s conduct in Myanmar and the challenges faced by foreign companies operating under military rule.
Telenor entered Myanmar in 2014 as one of the first major international telecom operators to enter the rapidly expanding market. Its withdrawal in 2022 came after the military authorities imposed increasingly strict requirements on telecommunications companies.
The Norwegian investigation will now examine whether the company’s actions during this period amounted to violations of Norwegian law.
No conclusion has been reached in the case.
Source: Reuters
