Report: Israeli Technology Used to Support Military Coup in Myanmar

Israeli technology and hardware were used to help Myanmar’s military to stage a governmental coup last month, according to the New York Times.

“The generals, who staged a coup a month ago, are now back in charge with a far more sophisticated arsenal at their disposal: Israeli-made surveillance drones, European iPhone cracking devices and American software that can hack into computers and vacuum up their contents,” the Times reported Monday.

Some of these technologies, referred to as “dual-use,” can be used for legitimate law enforcement, as well as repression, according to the newspaper.

Among the Israeli products identified by the Times is MacQuisition forensic software, designed to extract and collect data from Apple computers. The software is made by BlackBag Technologies, an American company that was bought last year by Israel’s Cellebrite. The company said it stopped selling to Myanmar in 2018.

Israel blocked military exports to Myanmar in 2018 after it became known that its weaponry was being used by the military to commit genocide against the minority Rohingya.

The newspaper also reported that the military uses surveillance drones made by Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. Elbit said that it has had no dealings with Myanmar since 2015 or 2016.

In addition, armored vehicles made by Gaia Automotive Industries, an Israeli manufacturer, were seen driving through the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on the day that the coup was launched. The vehicles did not go into mass production until after the Israeli ban on military exports, according to the Times report.