In Ye Township, Mon State, the military junta is actively dismantling PSI satellite dishes installed at homes and businesses, according to local residents.
During the second week of May, junta troops conducted searches in various neighborhoods of Ye town and nearby villages, inspecting homes, markets, and electronics stores. Residents reported that properties with PSI satellite dishes were targeted under the accusation of using or selling unauthorized equipment.
“A group of soldiers came to our village that day. They found a PSI dish on a house in the central ward and took it, claiming it was illegal. They also confiscated dishes from four or five other homes in nearby villages,” a female resident told the Independent Mon News Agency.
The military reportedly conducted these raids without prior notice, leaving locals anxious about further confiscations. The move appears to be an attempt to block access to independent news outlets such as Mizzima and DVB, which broadcast via PSI, S2AEC, and HD satellite receivers.
“They’re just confiscating dishes wherever they see them. Those dishes can receive news from DVB, VOA, and others, so it’s like their way of cutting off information just like they block VPNs,” said a male resident from Ye.
As early as April 2021, shortly after the military coup, PSI dish installations were banned in key Mon State towns including Kyaikto, Kyaikmaraw, and Mawlamyine. Since then, satellite dish usage has declined significantly.
The junta-controlled Ministry of Information previously declared that owning or installing PSI dishes without authorization would be considered illegal, punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of 500,000 kyats.
With frequent internet blackouts in Ye Township, many locals have relied on satellite channels and radio broadcasts to access uncensored news. The ongoing crackdown threatens to further isolate the population from independent sources of information.
