More than 300 civil society organizations have called on SpaceX and relevant regulatory authorities to impose targeted restrictions on cyber scam centers instead of broadly restricting Starlink services across Myanmar, warning that the current measures are causing serious humanitarian consequences.
According to users, SpaceX has been restricting some Starlink internet terminals operating in Myanmar, including along the Thai-Myanmar border, since July 2.
The civil society groups said that while the restrictions appear intended to disrupt criminal activities, they have also unintentionally cut off critical communications for schools, hospitals, and humanitarian aid workers.
The groups urged SpaceX and relevant regulatory authorities to restore essential services, establish a targeted enforcement mechanism against cyber scam operations, and create a collaborative verification system to distinguish legitimate civilian and humanitarian users from criminal networks.
“The internet shutdown is causing humanitarian harm. That is why civil society organizations are urging the authorities to consider humanitarian needs instead of imposing blanket restrictions,” a representative of one of the signatory organizations said.
The groups said blanket restrictions would create only temporary disruption for criminal syndicates while completely cutting off communications for rural communities, schools, and hospitals that have no alternative means of internet access.
A technology expert said the number of restricted Starlink terminals continues to increase, affecting both newly activated devices and previously registered terminals.
“Newly unboxed terminals cannot be activated. Another group of terminals, which have only been in use for one or two months, receive email warnings stating they are being used in an unauthorized country. A third category has been completely disabled because the service is not authorized in the country where they are being used,” the expert said.
Regular telecommunications services are currently unavailable in around 80 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, affecting an estimated 13.3 million people who rely on Starlink as their primary means of communication.
In these areas, Starlink has become essential for humanitarian operations, healthcare services, public safety and early warning systems, public service delivery, democratic governance, independent media reporting, and documenting human rights violations.
