Irrawaddy-June 11
Former intelligence officer Colonel Hla Min has revised and republished his English-language propaganda book “The Way I See It: Myanmar and Its Evolving Global Role (1988-2025),” which was advertised in junta-controlled newspapers in late May. This book is a revised edition of his 2014 bilingual publication, which had the same title but covered events from 1988-2014. According to the advertisement, the 2025 edition marks the 31st revision of the book. The content covers Myanmar’s geography, ethnic groups, religions, politics, economy, society and the Rohingya issue, as well as the current state of the country. It also includes strong criticisms of the United States and the United Kingdom. The book is being promoted as containing important facts that citizens and young readers should know. Hla Min started writing his book while serving in the military intelligence (MI) service, known today as the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs. During the 2004 purge of the intelligence network, he was arrested and imprisoned for seven years. He was released in 2011, and the book was published three years later. Several former military officers ranging in rank from lieutenant colonel to general as well as ex-ministers and a former government spokesman and prime minister have authored propaganda books. They include Soe Thane, Ye Htut, Wai Lwin Maung, Tun Kyi, Tint Swe and, last but not least, former PM Khin Nyunt. Despite their different ranks and roles, there is one thing Hla Min and other former military officers share—their books conceal the truth and support military dictatorship through propaganda. Some of these books were reportedly ghostwritten by hired authors. After the Myanmar military’s brutal crackdown on the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, the MI led by General Khin Nyunt gradually expanded its network and grew in influence. This intelligence network extended beyond traditional surveillance operations, infiltrating political, economic, social and international relations sectors. Khin Nyunt once describe the MI as the “eyes and ears” of the nation. The then-regimes—the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and its successor the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)—had to rely on the MI to consolidate military rule in a country wrecked by civil war and Ne Win’s mismanagement. Read more at:
