Recently, the situation in Myawaddy has become increasingly tense, seemingly entering a state of "active unrest." Following the rescue of Chinese actor Wang Xing and his return to China, China and Thailand swiftly launched a series of law enforcement and crackdown operations in Myawaddy. Firstly, the Thai government quickly introduced laws to combat telecommunications fraud following the "Wang Xing Incident," and then implemented the "cut off electricity, internet, and oil" measures in Myawaddy. Meanwhile, senior officials from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security successively visited Myawaddy, and subsequently, the first batch of more than 200 Chinese telecom fraud suspects were escorted back to China on February 20. However, behind these exhilarating actions, alarming news emerged—some telecom fraud parks in Myanmar began using "Starlink" for internet access.
"Starlink" devices flow into Southeast Asia, fraudsters take advantage
"Available for delivery globally, including Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, providing full after-sales service, solving various network layout issues." This message was posted by an administrator of a "plane group," specifically targeting the sale of Starlink devices.
On February 20, the same day that more than 200 Chinese telecom fraud suspects were escorted back to China, Rebecca, the Global Licensing and Market Activation Director of Starlink, visited Cambodia and met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Rebecca stated that Cambodia would be one of Starlink's priority investment markets by 2025 and planned to strengthen cooperation with the Cambodian government.
This news has attracted widespread attention, mainly because once Starlink's services officially launch in Cambodia, it will bring an unprecedented high-speed internet experience to local users. As a cutting-edge technology, Starlink provides global high-speed mobile internet access through a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, independent of terrestrial infrastructure, offering services to areas with unstable networks, high costs, or no network coverage. This means that even in the most remote areas of the world, as long as there is a Starlink device and power, internet access is possible at any time.
The "convenience" of the Starlink network: How does it facilitate telecom fraud activities?
As a high-tech internet device, Starlink is not cheap: the home version costs $90 per month, the RV and marine versions are $150 and $250 respectively, and the commercial version is as high as $2500, with a device purchase cost of $599. Although this is a significant expense for an ordinary Cambodian family, it is trivial for telecom fraudsters. More importantly, the convenience and high-speed connection of Starlink precisely solve the core pain points of telecom fraudsters—network and power issues.
In the crackdown on Myawaddy, the Thai government adopted a "cut off internet and electricity" strategy, aiming to prevent telecom fraudsters from continuing their crimes. However, sources reveal that these measures are not a problem for telecom fraudsters. They can easily purchase Starlink devices and pair them with small diesel generators, maintaining network operations even in sparsely populated areas and continuing their criminal activities.
An insider in the Cambodian internet broadband business disclosed to reporters that compared to traditional networks, Starlink is simpler and faster to use. Traditional networks require laying fiber optics, installing switches, and setting IP addresses, while telecom fraudsters often use cloud services to disguise IP addresses, making them appear as domestic access. However, the disadvantage of traditional networks is that once the fiber is damaged, the entire network is disrupted, and repairs and troubleshooting are more cumbersome. Starlink completely avoids this problem.
Another informant revealed that during the previous crackdown on telecom fraud in northern Myanmar, many fraudsters fled to places like Wanhai and Dangyang to continue their crimes, using Starlink devices. Even though these places are remote and lack basic infrastructure, this is not a problem for telecom fraudsters; they only need to equip themselves with Starlink and a generator to continue operations.
Increased difficulty in law enforcement: Is Starlink becoming an "accomplice" to telecom fraudsters?
China's CCTV News previously reported that Bao Zhipeng, one of the first experts in China to focus on telecom fraud issues in Myanmar, stated that in the situation of internet cutoff in northern Myanmar, some telecom fraud groups maintained network operations through Starlink and moved to places like Wanhai, Dangyang, and Myawaddy in Myanmar to continue luring domestic individuals into participating in telecom fraud crimes.
Indeed, the core advantage of Starlink is its "independence"—it does not rely on terrestrial networks, allowing users to operate globally, evading local government internet regulation and tracking. More seriously, telecom fraudsters can directly connect to the international internet without going through local telecom operators, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track their real locations, significantly increasing the difficulty of crackdowns.
How to address the misuse of "technology"?
The technological essence of Starlink is designed to improve global internet access, but in the case of regulatory loopholes, it may be exploited by criminals. Therefore, increasing the regulation of Starlink devices in the Southeast Asian region to prevent their use in illegal activities has become an urgent issue for related countries. At the same time, law enforcement agencies in various countries also need to further strengthen international cooperation, plug the loopholes in technology misuse, and prevent telecom fraudsters from evading crackdowns using new technologies.
Facing the escalating telecom fraud crimes, technology can both be a tool to combat crime and be exploited by criminals. Finding a balance between advancing technology and maintaining social security remains a significant challenge for governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
