In June 2026, the advocacy group Justice for Myanmar (JfM) forcefully condemned FIFA’s decision to grant exclusive 2026 World Cup broadcasting rights to Mytel, a telecommunications firm deeply embedded with the Myanmar military regime. Mytel operates as a joint venture between the military-controlled Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) and Viettel, an enterprise controlled by the Vietnamese military. Because MEC is subjected to strict sanctions from the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia for bankrolling the junta’s atrocity crimes, rights groups argue that FIFA’s deal blatantly violates international human rights due diligence standards. Activists warn that revenue generated from subscription fees and advertising on Mytel’s streaming platforms will directly subsidize the military’s capacity to purchase munitions and suppress dissent.
Concurrently, the military regime has escalated its systematic campaign to erase the country’s democratic memory. Throughout June 2026, the junta executed coordinated operations to forcibly remove National League for Democracy (NLD) signboards and symbols from party offices and public spaces across the country. Party officials described this physical erasure as a clear indication that the junta continues to view the ousted, democratically elected ruling party as a significant political threat, attempting to obliterate its lasting influence on public consciousness.