A coalition of 255 Myanmar civil society organizations has issued an urgent appeal to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, warning that recent disruptions to the company’s Starlink satellite internet network are threatening the lives and education of millions living under military-imposed communication blackouts.
In a joint letter released on July 17, the organizations urged Musk’s company to allow civilians and pro-democracy groups in Myanmar to continue utilizing its satellite internet, even though the service is not officially licensed to operate in the country.
According to the civil society statement, recent Starlink cutoffs have affected over 13 million people inside Myanmar.
The disruptions are described as a “matter of life and death” for nearly 800,000 students who rely on the satellite connections to attend approximately 6,000 virtual schools operated by the National Unity Government (NUG)—the interim administration formed by elected lawmakers ousted in the 2021 military coup.
Sweeping cuts and geolocation restrictions
Nationwide disruptions to Starlink terminals have been widely reported since July 2, heavily impacting resistance-held and conflict-affected areas across Kachin, Karenni, and Arakan states, as well as the Sagaing and Mandalay regions.
Local resistance groups told DVB that more than 20 per cent of Starlink terminals operating inside Myanmar have recently been deactivated.
In Karenni State, the Interim Executive Council (IEC)—a provisional government established by resistance forces—reported that Starlink issued warnings requiring users to register their terminals using government-issued identity documents.
“I think the company has restricted the geolocation of the terminals as Myanmar is not officially licensed,” said Banyar Aung, the IEC’s second secretary.
An internet service provider based in Demoso Township—an area recaptured by regime forces from the resistance in August 2025—confirmed to DVB that their Starlink terminal went offline earlier this month, citing the lack of official licensing.
The scam center dilemma
The abrupt crackdown on Starlink terminals inside Myanmar appears linked to intense international pressure regarding the proliferation of transnational cyber scam operations.
Over the past year, investigations by the U.S. Congress and international media revealed that lucrative cybercrime syndicates operating along the Myanmar-Thailabd border were utilizing smuggled Starlink dishes to bypass local infrastructure and run multi-billion dollar fraud networks.
In response to inquiries from U.S. lawmakers, Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s Vice President of Business Operations, stated late last year that the company had proactively disabled over 2,500 terminals suspected of being used by these criminal hubs.
Furthermore, the recent wave of disruptions follows reports that unnamed U.S. officials met with representatives of the Naypyidaw regime in Tokyo last month to discuss efforts to combat the scam operations.
A critical lifeline
However, human rights advocates warn that taking a blunt, sweeping approach to disabling Starlink terminals disproportionately harms the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Following the 2021 military coup, the regime imposed severe, sweeping telecommunications blackouts across central Myanmar and ethnic states to suppress dissent and cut off resistance forces.
As a result, smuggled Starlink terminals became the sole lifeline for millions to communicate, coordinate humanitarian aid, share evidence of human rights abuses, and connect with the outside world.
By cutting off the unlicensed terminals to target cybercriminals, activists argue that SpaceX is inadvertently aiding the regime’s efforts to plunge the country into a total digital blackout.
