In Myanmar’s northern Kachin state, Seng has struggled with internet outages and low bandwidth since the 2021 military coup. Then came the blocks on social media platforms, including Facebook. But it was the recent ban on virtual private networks (VPNs) that really hurt her online clothing business.
“When they banned Facebook, I hired someone to use a VPN and post to our Facebook page from an area where the internet was still accessible,” said Seng, who asked to use a single name to identify her. protect. Rest of the world. “After they banned VPNs, I have to go to Yangon from time to time to try to upload photos and videos with a VPN that still works. Sometimes I can’t do it.”
There have been more than 300 internet outages across the country since February 1, 2021, according to the Myanmar Internet Project, an advocacy group. Residents have also experienced partial internet and mobile network shutdowns, bandwidth restrictions and social media blocks. Those in the Sagaing region and Kachin and Shan states, which have seen heavy fighting with resistance forces, are particularly affected.
The junta has banned encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and WhatsApp, and restricted social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and X. Only Telegram and TikTok – which the junta uses for propaganda and to dox activists – are accessible. The junta has also launched its version of YouTube, called MTube, and MySpace (not to be confused with the now largely defunct US platform of the same name).
VPNs were widely used after the coup to access the internet anonymously and bypass social media blocks. However, they have been banned since May 30. Those found using banned apps on their mobile devices risk arrest and fines. This has had a major impact on small businesses and workers who rely on online platforms, as well as students, aid groups and journalists, said Wai Phyo Myint, Myanmar chief at digital rights nonprofit Access Now.
“The consequences are quite serious, especially the VPN blocks,” she said Rest of the world. “VPNs are necessary for secure communications: they provide security and anonymity and can hide a person’s digital footprint from military surveillance. Now people don’t have that certainty, which is worrying; it is a matter of life and death.”
Myanmar ranks alongside China as the worst environment for internet freedom this year, according to a new report from Freedom House, an advocacy group. This is the first time in ten years that a country has scored as low as China. As of January 2024, internet penetration in Myanmar was only 44%, the lowest rate in Southeast Asia after East Timor. According to the annual report, average mobile download speeds in Myanmar fell by almost 10% in the 12 months to May 31, 2024.
The military’s control over major service providers has led to “mass censorship and surveillance,” the report said. In addition to the high cost of internet data, hundreds of mobile phone masts have been damaged during the conflict and hours-long power outages are the norm, further hampering internet access.
With several popular VPNs such as NordVPN and Psiphon banned, people are turning to free VPN software that may lack strong encryption protocols, leaving users vulnerable to surveillance, a spokesperson for the Myanmar Internet Project said. Rest of the world.
“It’s a choice between hard and hard: if you have a VPN that works, you can’t be sure that it is safe and secure. If you do not have a working VPN, all internet use is monitored and investigated,” the spokesperson said. “The internet shutdown has been weaponized and a campaign of terror is being waged against the public.”
Free Burma Rangers
Since several protocols have been blocked, people are setting up their own servers and trying to find VPNs that still work. “It takes time and effort and technical knowledge, and not everyone has that,” the spokesperson said.
People in Myanmar have turned to a variety of alternative technologies to exchange information, document human rights abuses, for education and to earn a living. These include walkie-talkies, long-distance mesh networking equipment, range extenders and repeaters – and, increasingly, satellite systems.
They all bring challenges: walkie-talkies have become expensive and the junta makes extensive use of signal jammers. Mesh networking devices that can connect multiple devices in off-grid areas have limited bandwidth and require a consistent power supply, while range extenders to increase signal strength do not work when disconnecting the internet.
In areas with frequent communication disruptions, satellite internet has become the only option. There is a lot of demand for Starlink, which has not yet been licensed in Myanmar. Anti-junta forces have set up Starlink systems in dozens of areas in the Sagaing and Magway regions, and in Karenni and Kachin states. There may be more than 3,000 Starlink dishes in use in the country, the Myanmar Internet Project estimates.
“It is the only viable solution for end users,” the spokesperson said. “Others are not end-user oriented, are also expensive and require a lot of technical expertise.”
In Karenni, where the junta shut down the internet and mobile networks last November, several small internet cafes have sprung up. They offer internet access for about 1,000 kyat (50 cents) per hour. “Having Starlink has become necessary because it is the only way for us to get online,” a community leader in Karenni, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said Rest of the world.
3,000 The estimated number of active Starlink dishes in Myanmar.
David Eubank, director of the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers, has been using walkie-talkies, portable FM radios and satellite phones in the mountainous northern areas for years. Even for him, Starlink has become essential, he said Rest of the world. Starlink is “cheaper, faster and easier to use” compared to the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) satellite system they used previously, he said.
“For us, Starlink has really improved our ability to provide humanitarian assistance, to know what’s going on, to provide faster relief, to document and report human rights violations, and to be able to save lives,” said Eubank. “It’s really been a huge blessing for us.”
His group has distributed dozens of Starlink units to schools and clinics in areas where connectivity has been lost. The system is also useful for conducting emergency medical procedures in remote areas with instructions from doctors through video calls, he said.
But there are concerns that Starlink will crack down on unlicensed use, or that authorities in neighboring countries — pursuing cyberscam operations along the borders — could seize systems brought into the country, Eubank said.
For the millions of people in Myanmar who don’t have access to Starlink, getting online is a constant challenge – and a huge risk. Ko Taik, co-founder of the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar, used Facebook to publicize their work and raise money, and the messaging app Signal for communication. Now he and his colleagues in Karen State use VPNs with “significantly slower” speeds, resulting in dropped calls and delays, the 23-year-old former engineering student said. Rest of the world.
“I often miss important meetings… [and] are experiencing significant delays in posting information,” he said. “The only option we have is to travel 45 minutes to the border to access Thai mobile networks. But we do so at significant risk to our lives.”
