Since 21 July, phone and internet services have been down across Kachin State for over three weeks. In Myitkyina, there is limited access to MPT phone line in Le Gone, Kyun Pin Tar, Du Ka Htaung, Si Tar Pu, around the government office, and the MPT operator’s office. However, all other phone lines remain out of service.
Kachin State, with a population of over one million residents and consisting of four districts and 18 townships, has experienced frequent phone and internet disruptions since the 2021 military coup. Locals now report that the current outage is the longest they’ve faced.
Nowadays, people depend heavily on phone and internet services for social communication and economic activities. The prolonged outage has created significant difficulties for locals.
Kachin News Group (KNG) has gathered the voices of Myitkyina residents on the current situation.
A local woman from Myitkyina who runs an online shopping business
“Livelihood is challenging because I run my business online. It’s difficult to make emergency phone calls or get reliable news. I can only watch TV. I don’t know whether the news is true or false. I also can’t withdraw money from Kpay due to the internet outage. I face difficulties due to rain and fuel costs when I went to the places where internet access is available. If this situation continues, I’m considering moving to a place with internet access. It’s not okay for those of us who run online businesses. We can do nothing. We are waiting for the internet to be restored. In the past, outages were resolved quickly, but this shutdown has lasted longer than usual. Many people are now wondering where to turn or go in times of trouble these difficult times.”
A woman who runs a grocery store
“Now, the phone outage makes it very difficult to withdraw money, and there’s no news. We can’t contact anyone, and nothing seems to work. However, since the electricity was restored over the past two or three days, I have been able to recharge my mobile phone. In the recent days, both the electricity and phone lines were down. Due to the internet outage, withdrawing money has become very difficult. I haven’t received any updates on the military situation, but every night around 9 or 10 PM, I hear the sounds of heavy artillery. If this continues, it feels like I am going mad. I’m unsure whether to flee or stock up on goods.”
A youth from Le Kone
“Money transfer is very difficult. Their office is not only in Yangon but also in Myitkyina, so we can withdraw money here when transferring via the Yangon office. However, due to the internet outage in Myitkyina, we can’t withdraw money. “There are rumors in Myitkyina that the airport will be closed, with operations running only until 18 August and no flights available afterward. I can’t confirm whether this information is accurate or not. We don’t get any news. We get the news only from Sky Net and Myawaddy. We don’t want to watch the news from them. Instead, we rely on Laiza FM radio for updates.”
A mother from Le Kone ward
“Due to the phone outrage, we have to go to Waingmaw to make phone calls. It feels like we’re returning to the days before there were no phonelines. The shopkeepers can’t place orders from Myitkyina. It was very difficult for those who sell the goods due to the phone outrage. And those who do business over the phone and those who sell online are also in a lot of trouble. It is very difficult for them to withdraw money via Wave Money and Kpay in Myitkyina.”
A man from Si Tar Pu
“Commodity prices have doubled or tripled. Cooking soup now cost Ks-around 5,000. The cost has gone up from Ks 200-300 in the past to Ks-around 5,000 now. The price of a chicken egg is around Ks-500. Yesterday, I took Ks 30,000 to the market. Money ran out even though we didn’t buy many goods. The price of beef has increased from Ks-12,000-16,000 per viss to Ks-24,000. This is for regular meat, not tenderloin. Even those with jobs can’t keep up with the rising living costs. We can’t save money due to the imbalance between income and expenses, even when we’re advised to prepare for potential emergencies.”
Sent by KNG