China / Myanmar residents struggle to overcome severe internet blackouts with Starlink DONATE NOW SSIILLIICCOONN VVAALLLLEEYY IINN RREESSTT OOFF WWOORRLLDD Myanmar residents struggle to overcome severe internet blackouts with Starlink With messaging apps, social media, and VPNs banned, people look to satellite services, mesh networks, even walkie-talkies to communicate and work. Ruwangi Amarasinghe for Rest of World By NU NU LUSAN 23 OCTOBER 2024 TRANSLATE Myanmar is tied with China for the worst internet environment in the world. Internet shutdowns and a ban on VPNs have hurt businesses, aid groups. People have turned to free VPNs and illicit Starlink connections, often at great risk. In Myanmar’s northern Kachin state, Seng had struggled with internet shutdowns and low bandwidth since the military coup of 2021. 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 on our Facebook page from an area where the internet was still accessible,” Seng, who asked to go by a single name to protect her identity, told Rest of World. “After they banned VPNs, I have to go to Yangon from time to time to try and upload photos and videos with any VPN that still works. Sometimes, I cannot do it.” There have been more than 300 internet shutdowns across the country since February 1, 2021, according to the Myanmar Internet Project, an advocacy group. Residents have also faced partial shutdowns of internet and mobile networks, bandwidth limitations, and social media blocks. Those in Sagaing region, and the states of Kachin and Shan, which have seen fierce fighting with resistance forces, are particularly affected. The junta has banned encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and WhatsApp, and restricted social media apps including 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 U.S. platform of the same name.) Myanmar has had more than 300 internet shutdowns since 2021 The five locations with the most internet shutdowns. II N ND D II A A C CH H II N NA A Kachin Kachin 34 34 Sagaing Sagaing 89 89 Chin Chin Shan Shan 23 23 30 30 Kachin Kachin INDIA INDIA Magway Magway 26 26 CHINA CHINA 34 34 LL A AO O SS Sagaing Sagaing M MY YA A89 N NM MA A RR 89 © OpenStreetMap contributors Chin Chin Shan Shan ChinInternet Project Map: Rest of World • Source: Myanmar 23 23 30 30 VPNs were widely usedMagway after the coup to access the internet Magway anonymously and get around the social media blocks. 30, however, they have 26 26 been L AOS L AO S Since May banned. Those found with banned M YA N M A R M YA N M A R M Y A Nrisk M A Rarrest and fines. This has greatly apps on their mobile devices affected small businesses and workers who rely on online platforms, as well as students, aid groups, and journalists, said Wai Phyo Myint, Myanmar lead at digital rights nonprofit Access Now. “The impacts are quite severe, particularly the VPN blocks,” she told Rest of World. “VPNs are necessary for secure communication: They ensure safety and anonymity, and can hide one’s digital footprint from military surveillance. Now, people don’t have that security, which is concerning; it’s a life-and-death issue.” Myanmar tied with China for the worst environment for internet freedom this year, marking the first time a country has ranked as low as China in a decade, according to a new report from Freedom House, an advocacy group. As of January 2024, internet penetration in Myanmar was just 44%, the lowest rate in Southeast Asia after East Timor. Average mobile download speeds in Myanmar declined by nearly 10% during the 12-month period to May 31, 2024, according to the annual report. The military’s control over major service providers has meant “mass censorship and surveillance,” the report said. Besides the high cost of internet data, hundreds of cellphone towers have been damaged in the conflict, and hours-long power outages are the norm, further hindering internet access. Read More Stories Meet the mothers in small-town Hungary leading a fight against Chinese EV battery plants Amazon launched a program for Indian handicrafts. Local artisans say it’s not working Mexican TikTokers have code words to report on narcoviolence without getting banned With several popular VPNs such as NordVPN and Psiphon banned, people are resorting to free VPN software that may not have strong encryption protocols, leaving users vulnerable to surveillance, a spokesperson for the Myanmar Internet Project told Rest of World. “It’s a choice between a rock and a hard place: If you have a VPN that works, you cannot be certain it is secure and safe. If you don’t have a VPN that works, then any internet use is going to be monitored and scrutinized,” the spokesperson said. “Internet shutdowns have been weaponized, and a campaign of terror is being waged against the public.” With several protocols 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 resorted to a variety of alternative technologies to exchange information, record human rights violations, for education, and to eke out a living. These include walkie-talkies, long-range mesh networking devices, range extenders and repeaters — and, increasingly, satellite systems. They all come with challenges: Walkie-talkies have become expensive, and the junta frequently uses signal jammers. Mesh networking devices that can connect several devices in off-grid areas have limited bandwidth, and need consistent power supply, while range extenders to boost signal strength do not work in internet shutdowns. A Starlink system seen in northern Myanmar. In areas with frequent communications blackouts, satellite-based Free Burma Rangers internet has become the only option. Starlink, which is not yet licensed in Myanmar, is in high demand. 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’s the only viable solution for end users,” the spokesperson said. “Others are not end user-oriented, and are also expensive, and need a lot of technical expertise.” In Karenni, where the junta cut internet and mobile networks last November, several small internet cafes have sprung up. They provide internet access for about 1,000 kyat (50 cents) per hour. “Having Starlink has become necessary, as it is the only way for us to go online,” a community leader in Karenni, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, told Rest of World. 3,000 The estimated number of active Starlink dishes in Myanmar. David Eubank, director of humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers, has used walkie-talkies, handheld FM radios, and satellite phones for years in the mountainous northern areas. Even for him, Starlink has become essential, he told Rest of World. Starlink is “cheaper, faster, and easier to use” compared to the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) satellite system that they used earlier, he said. “Starlink, for us, has really improved our ability to do humanitarian assistance, to know what’s going on, provide quicker relief, document and report human rights abuses, and be able to save lives,” Eubank said. “It’s really been a huge blessing for us.” GET THE GLOBAL, OUR (FREE) NEWSLETTER Sign up for our weekly newsletter and we’ll send you our latest stories, dispatches from our staff, what we’re reading, and more. A world of tech, right in your inbox. EMAIL SUBSCRIBE His group has distributed dozens of Starlink units to schools and clinics in areas that have lost connectivity. The system has also come in handy for performing emergency medical procedures in remote areas with instructions from doctors over video calls, he said. But there are concerns that Starlink might crack down on unlicensed use, or that authorities in neighboring countries — who are pursuing cyberscam operations along the borders — may confiscate systems being brought into the country, Eubank said. For the millions in Myanmar without access to Starlink, getting online is a constant challenge — and a huge risk. Ko Taik, who cofounded the Political Prisoners Network - Myanmar, used Facebook to publicize their work and raise funds, and the Signal messaging app for communications. 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 told Rest of World. “I often miss important meetings … [and] encounter 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 that at significant risk to our lives.” Nu Nu Lusan is a freelance journalist and translator working on Myanmar human rights issues. C CH HI IN NA A O OU UT TS SI ID DE E C CH HI IN NA A Meet the mothers in small-town Hungary leading a fight against Chinese EV battery plants Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s goal to turn Hungary into a global EV battery hub is facing environmental backlash and legal challenges. Eva Kozma (left) and Vera Csuvarszki (right) are co-founders of the Mikepércs Mothers for the Environment organization. By YVONNE LAU 18 OCTOBER 2024 • MIKEPÉRCS, HUNGARY TRANSLATE Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to make Hungary a global EV battery hub and Chinese investors have funneled billions into the sector. Locals fear environmental degradation, and previously spent years opposing South Korean battery plants. Grassroots protests, including legal challenges, have seen success in halting projects and pressuring regulators to impose fines for pollution. Eva Kozma watched as excavators raked up clouds of dust and flatbed trucks shuttled steel beams across a bustling construction site on the outskirts of a tranquil Hungarian village. A longtime resident of the village, Kozma pointed at the former farmland where Chinese battery giant CATL is building a factory. Bales of Mikepércs ● hay still dotted the 221-hectare industrial park. “Before the factories, we had fields of corn, wheat, and sunflowers. There were apple and cherry farms, and the cows were still grazing,” Kozma, a 48-year-old mother of three with an environmental engineering background, told Rest of World. CATL, the world’s largest producer of electric vehicle batteries, is constructing an $8-billion battery plant just north of Mikepércs, a town of around 5,000 located 250 kilometers east of Budapest. “We fear that CATL will bring pollution and environmental consequences on our land,” Kozma said. CATL dominates global EV battery production with a more than 40% market share, employing over 80,000 people worldwide and supplying leading car brands including Tesla, Ford, and Volkswagen. The company operates five overseas factories in the EU and Southeast Asia, and is in talks with American carmakers to launch plants in the U.S. CATL did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment. CATL is constructing an $8-billion battery plant just north of Mikepércs. Kozma gestured to a nondescript, gray building next to the busy construction site. It was the office of Halms, the Hungarian arm of China’s Zhejiang Huashuo Technology, an auto parts manufacturer focused on EVs. Earlier this year, government officials fined the firm for dumping contaminated water from its factory into a local runoff channel. Halms didn’t respond to Rest of World’s request for comment. “So the mothers banded together,” Kozma said. She is one of several local women who founded Mikepércs Mothers for the Environment (Miak��) in April 2023. The organization joined a network of small towns that works to hold polluting battery companies accountable, and is part of a number of growing protest movements in rural areas across the country. “People fear them as poison factories. Once they hear that a new battery plant is coming … they think it’s another polluting and problematic company.” Since the late-2010s, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has championed an industrial strategy that aims to transform Hungary into a global EV battery hub, attracting money, technology, and skilled workers from Asian nations. Orbán offered government subsidies that first lured South Korean battery giants to the country to open factories. Halms, the auto-parts manufacturer next to CATL’s construction site, was fined earlier this year by Hungarian government officials for dumping contaminated water from its factory into a runoff channel. The announcement of the massive CATL factory in 2022 has sparked a new phase in small-town Hungary’s ongoing battle against the burgeoning EV battery industry, with powerful new players: Chinese investors. In 2023 alone, China funneled over $8.5 billion in foreign direct investment to Hungary. The funds largely went to its battery sector. Chinese battery manufacturers have announced planned investments of over $10 billion to produce EV batteries in Hungary. “People fear them as poison factories. Once they hear that a new battery plant is coming … they think it’s another polluting and problematic company,” Andrea Éltető, economist and senior research fellow at the Institute of World Economics’ Hungary branch, told Rest of World. The Miakö group from Mikepércs, together with local residents, has taken legal action against authorities who had issued safety and environmental permits for CATL to operate. Vera Csuvarszki, a 43-year-old speech therapist and mother of three, said she felt compelled to try to relocate because she believes her children are being exposed to factory pollutants. She told Rest of World her house sat on the market for one year, but “nobody wanted to buy it” because of its proximity to the industrial park. As the white-and-blue flags of Semcorp, a Chinese producer of lithium-ion battery separators, flapped in the wind, Csuvarszki, a co-founder of Miakö, said their group is also concerned about pollution from Semcorp’s $370 million factory. The company’s full manufacturing operations are expected to start next year; the plant has launched at least one successful trial run of its production lines. “Compliance with the applicable environmental, health, and safety standards is of the utmost importance to us. We are committed to working with the relevant authorities and other stakeholders to ensure our operations continuously maintain those standards,” Csaba Wolf, vice president of Semcorp Hungary, told Rest of World. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to transform Hungary into a global EV battery hub. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images In recent years, investigative efforts from local journalists and environmentalists have spotlighted environmental damage and negative health effects from South Korea-funded battery plants in Hungary. In Samsung SDI’s EV battery cell factory in Göd, a town of about 22,000 located 30 kilometers north of Budapest, the plant had exposed workers to high levels of carcinogenic materials, emitted toxins linked to serious health issues, and contributed to the town’s unusually high carbon dioxide levels. SungEel HiTech, a battery recycler with multiple plants in Hungary, experienced explosions and fatal fires, and was fined by regulators last year for endangering its workers and improperly storing toxic battery waste. “We have already seen evidence that one Chinese battery supplier company [Halms] has polluted [just like the South Korean ones]. It’s not a good sign,” Éltető told Rest of World. Locals protesting the now China-dominated EV battery ecosystem The town of Mikepércs lies 250 kilometers east of Budapest.