SpaceX says it has suspended Starlink services for rogue camps in Myanmar

Elon Musk’s SpaceX says it has severed Starlink satellite communications links to more than 2,500 devices used by rogue compounds in Myanmar.

More than 30 complexes are believed to operate along the Thai-Myanmar border, where people from all over the world are trafficked and forced to work in scams generating tens of billions of dollars a year.

Announcing the move, Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s head of business operations, said the firm takes action on the rare occasions it identifies breaches.

Termination of service follows Monday’s takeover of one of the largest complexes, KK Park, by Myanmar’s army as it reclaims territory lost to rebel groups over the past two years.

Activists have long warned that Starlink technology has allowed mostly Chinese crime syndicates to operate from remote locations along the border.

Myanmar has become infamous for these operations that swindle victims through romantic gimmicks and bogus investment schemes.

Workers are lured under the guise of legitimate jobs, only to be held captive and forced into criminal activity.

Survivors tell of grueling conditions, long hours, torture and beatings for not achieving objectives. Many of the victims come from African countries.

“In Myanmar … SpaceX proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink kits near suspected ‘fraud hubs,'” Dreyer said in an X post.

“We are committed to ensuring that the service remains a force for good and sustains trust globally: both connecting the unconnected and detecting and preventing abuse by bad actors,” she added.

On Monday, Myanmar’s military said it had “cleared” KK Park, freeing more than 2,000 workers and confiscating 30 Starlink terminals.

Pictures showed the complex’s rooftop satellite dishes, and footage provided to the BBC showed thousands of workers leaving KK Park on foot.

However, at least 30 other fraud groups remain active along the border, employing tens of thousands worldwide. Many are protected by militia groups loyal to the Myanmar military, and it is unclear whether they have also lost access to the Starlink services they once relied on.

These centers have become a key component of Myanmar’s wartime economy as the junta battles various rebel groups while relying on Chinese support to maintain power.