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For nearly 100 days, the Rakhine state in western Myanmar has been grappling with telecommunication disruptions, hampering the right to information and livelihood of its over 3 million inhabitants, according to local sources on Wednesday.
These disruptions have had an impact on all 14 townships under the control of the insurgent Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine, as well as the AA-controlled Paletwa township in the adjacent Chin state, and the Rakhine townships of Kyaukphyu, Munaung, and parts of Sittwe, presently under the military junta’s rule since the February 2021 coup.
From Nov. 16, 2024, the AA has blocked both phone and internet services in its regions. An insider from the rebel group informed RFA Burmese that these disruptions aim to “avert airstrikes, due to the presence of junta informants,” even though no evidence was provided to back this assertion.
The junta imposed blackouts in its Rakhine territories shortly after the AA launched attacks on military bases in the state in November 2023, concluding a year-long ceasefire.
RFA’s efforts to contact Khaing Thukha, the spokesperson for the AA, and Hla Thein, the junta’s spokesperson and Rakhine state’s attorney general, were unsuccessful on Wednesday.
Residents report that, besides impacting their livelihoods, the blackouts have also complicated communication with family members.
According to a local resident, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, “We are unable to connect with our families or close relatives scattered across different areas.” He further stated that due to the high cost of travel and transportation difficulties, face-to-face meetings are not an option.
“Our relatives in other parts of Rakhine state are unaware of our situation here,” he added. “We are also greatly concerned when we hear about the junta conducting airstrikes in areas where our relatives reside.”
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Other locals stated that AA fighters and allied insurgent groups have internet access via the Starlink satellite service.
Several reported that they need to travel considerable distances to access a functional telephone.
Overseas Communication Challenges
Many inhabitants of Rakhine, a less developed region of Myanmar, opt to work abroad to support their families financially.
However, a Rakhine resident employed in Thailand told RFA that the absence of phone and internet services has made it extremely hard to remit money home.
“I am unable to reach my children who are still in the village, and as a mother, I worry about them constantly,” she stated. “I have parents and siblings too, and I am eager to know if they are safe and how they are sustaining themselves. The inability to contact them causes me immense stress.”
This woman, who also wished to remain anonymous, stated that it has been “over two months” since she last communicated with her family in Rakhine.
Journalists in Rakhine informed RFA that while the AA permits them to use the internet via Starlink, they can only do so for five hours per day, hindering their ability to report news from the region.
Translation by Aung Naing. Editing by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
