The Ta’ang (Palaung) National Liberation Army (TNLA) has imposed a ban on the use of Starlink internet in Namtu Township, northern Shan State, confiscating devices and detaining users found operating the service.

Residents report that beginning in mid-October, TNLA troops started inspecting every ward and village within their controlled territory, searching specifically for Starlink internet users.

On October 28, a man over 60 years old, who had Starlink installed at his home in Namtu town, went missing. As of November 4, his family has been unable to reach him for more than a week, according to a Namtu resident.

“TNLA soldiers are inspecting every ward and village. They confiscated the Starlink devices. They also seized the phones of those using the Starlink internet line. They told us they would return them only when the country gets better,” a Namtu resident told SHAN.

The man arrested in Ward 5 for using Starlink is known to be a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) education staff member. Locals say others have also been arrested, but the exact number remains unknown due to ongoing conflict and displacement.

“They didn’t say where they took him or how long he would be detained. We still can’t contact him. He went missing shortly after posting on Facebook: ‘There is no one left in Namtu,’” said another resident familiar with the case.

SHAN attempted to contact the TNLA Information and News Department regarding the Starlink ban and the detentions in Namtu, but no response was received. The number of detainees and their current status could not be independently verified.

The ban appears to follow earlier localized restrictions. In mid-October, residents in Man San village tract said the TNLA ordered Starlink devices to be dismantled, citing concerns that the signal could lead to aerial attacks by the military junta.

For more than a year, residents in TNLA-controlled Namtu Township have had no access to phone networks, fixed internet, or electricity. Starlink has been their only means of communication with the outside world.

The restriction comes days after a ceasefire announcement. On October 29, the TNLA Information and News Department stated that a ceasefire agreement had been signed between the TNLA and the military council on October 27–28, mediated by China. The statement said TNLA forces would withdraw from Mongkut (Mogok) and Mong Mit (Momeik) township areas within the agreed timeframe.