A coalition of 255 Myanmar humanitarian, civil society and pro-democracy organizations has called on the United States, SpaceX and the international community to end the broad suspension of Starlink satellite internet services across Myanmar, warning that the measure is disrupting life-saving communications for civilians while doing little to curb transnational cyber scam operations.
In a joint statement issued on 17 July, the organizations said the restrictions have severely affected humanitarian operations, healthcare services, education and independent media, urging authorities to target only verified cyber scam compounds rather than disabling Starlink services across large parts of the country.
The coalition comprises 204 organizations named publicly in the statement and 51 organizations that withheld their identities for security reasons.
The groups said they support international efforts to dismantle cross-border cyber scam networks operating in Southeast Asia. However, they argued that blanket restrictions imposed under the justification of combating organized crime have instead cut off critical communication links used by schools, hospitals and humanitarian responders throughout Myanmar.
According to the statement, SpaceX disabled approximately 2,500 Starlink terminals believed to be operating near cyber scam compounds along the Thailand-Myanmar border in October 2025. The organizations said subsequent restrictions were expanded to include terminals in Magway Region, Sagaing Region and Rakhine State, areas with no known proximity to cyber scam operations.
The coalition said ongoing armed conflict and deliberate internet shutdowns imposed by Myanmar’s military authorities have already left around 80 of the country’s 330 townships without reliable mobile or internet connectivity. Approximately 13.3 million people living in those areas now depend on low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet services such as Starlink as their primary means of communication.
The organizations said Starlink has become an essential communications infrastructure rather than a luxury, enabling local humanitarian groups and hospitals to coordinate ambulance services, deliver emergency relief supplies and conduct remote medical consultations, including surgical and maternal healthcare support.
In conflict-affected areas, Starlink has also been used to distribute real-time alerts about airstrikes and troop movements, allowing civilians to evacuate before attacks. Interruptions to the service could leave communities without access to early warning systems and significantly increase risks to civilian lives, the statement said.
The coalition added that local administrative bodies, including the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State, rely on Starlink to provide education, healthcare and basic public administration.
According to the statement, 5,963 interim community schools and 75 online schools registered under Myanmar’s National Unity Government provide education to nearly one million students in conflict-affected areas, with many depending on Starlink connectivity.
Independent media organizations and human rights documentation groups also rely on Starlink to securely transmit evidence of alleged war crimes and human rights violations to United Nations investigative bodies and international human rights organizations, the coalition said.
The organizations argued that disabling Starlink services nationwide is unlikely to significantly disrupt cyber scam syndicates, which were already operating before the satellite service became available. They said the criminal networks are driven by broader structural factors, including human trafficking, weak governance and economic instability.
Unlike rural communities, schools, hospitals and humanitarian organizations, financially well-resourced cyber scam groups would likely be able to switch to alternative communications systems if Starlink services were disrupted, the statement said.
The coalition called on SpaceX and relevant regulatory authorities to replace broad regional shutdowns with targeted, intelligence-based restrictions focused only on verified cyber scam compounds.
It also urged the immediate restoration of Starlink services outside confirmed scam locations and proposed the establishment of a user verification mechanism, developed in cooperation with Myanmar civil society organizations, to distinguish humanitarian users from criminal actors.
The organizations said they remain ready to work with SpaceX, the U.S. government and the international community to combat transnational cybercrime while ensuring that millions of civilians do not lose access to what they described as a vital communications lifeline.
