A 25-year-old university student was arrested under Myanmar’s Anti-Terrorism Act after a military checkpoint’s digital ID scan allegedly linked her to the People’s Defense Force (PDF), sources close to the incident reported.

Nang Cherry Htun, a fifth-year Information Technology student at Taunggyi University of Technology, was detained on May 25 while traveling from her hometown of Namsang, Shan State, to Taunggyi. At the Hseng Hkawng checkpoint in Namsang Township, authorities scanned her ID using a tablet connected to the military council’s Person Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS), a surveillance tool that flagged her for alleged involvement with the PDF.

“When her ID was scanned, a list appeared, and they accused her of transferring money to PDF groups via KBZ Pay in 2022,” a source familiar with the case told SHAN. “She wasn’t even aware of the charges or who the complainant was.”

Following the scan, Nang Cherry Htun was taken to Aye Tharyar Township Police Station and charged under Section 50(J) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which criminalizes financing or supporting armed resistance groups. The offense carries severe penalties, and bail is unlikely.

“She’s now in custody, and a formal case has been filed,” the source added. “The military only began deploying this scanning system recently, possibly last month.”

This arrest follows a similar case on May 22, when military authorities at a Mongnawng (Mong Naung) checkpoint in Kyethi Township used PSMS to identify a 25-year-old woman from Dagon (Myothit) Southern Township. State media confirmed the incident but provided no further details.

The PSMS system, reportedly supplied by China’s Huawei Technologies, integrates AI-driven facial recognition, CCTV analysis, and biometric data to track individuals. The military council has consolidated e-ID records of Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) participants and activists into a centralized database, now operational at checkpoints nationwide.

Rights groups warn that the escalating use of such surveillance tools enables targeted repression of civilians accused of opposing military rule. As digital monitoring expands, concerns grow over due process violations and the weaponization of personal data against dissenters.