Starlink crackdown won’t stop Myanmar’s scam syndicates

Naphat K

Efforts to dismantle Southeast Asia’s cyber-scam networks are gaining traction in Washington, but experts warn that targeting Starlink satellite internet in Myanmar risks harming civilians more than criminals.

U.S. lawmakers, alarmed by the $16.6 billion cost of online scams to American victims — including $10 billion in 2024 alone — have proposed legislation to curb foreign scam syndicates. Senator Maggie Hassan and Congressman Jefferson Shreve have urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to block Starlink access for transnational criminals, while Senator Rick Scott introduced the STOP Scammers Act.

Yet analysts say this approach misses the mark. Starlink, they argue, is not the root of the problem. Following Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, the junta shut down mobile networks across much of the country, leaving nearly 13 million people reliant on satellite internet. For many, Starlink is a lifeline — enabling education, humanitarian aid, and medical care in remote areas.

One such case is Dr Soe Min, a surgeon who fled to rebel-held territory and now runs a field hospital. “Starlink has been a lifesaving tool,” he said, describing how he’s guided medics remotely through emergency procedures.

While some scam centres have adopted Starlink following Thai crackdowns, these operations long predate the satellite service. They thrive in lawless border zones across Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines, fuelled by poverty, human trafficking, and collusion between armed groups and corrupt officials.

The Shwe Kokko enclave, for instance, is a fortified city run by the Karen Border Guard Force and financed by Hong Kong’s Yatai International Holding Group. Despite ongoing airstrikes elsewhere, scam hubs like Shwe Kokko remain untouched — a sign of deep ties between the junta and criminal networks.

Recent raids, such as the one on KK Park near Mae Sot, have been dismissed by locals as staged spectacles. Media headlines blaming Starlink only serve to deflect scrutiny from the real enablers: Myanmar’s military and its allies.

Experts say a blanket ban on Starlink would disconnect millions of civilians while leaving scam lords unscathed. Real progress, they argue, requires targeted action against the entrenched systems that allow cybercrime to flourish.

-2025-11-07