Irrawaddy-Mar 4

Myanmar’s military regime has formed a new body tasked with publishing information in multiple languages aimed at countering independent media’s narratives on the country. The launch marks the latest junta effort to expand its propaganda operations and push back against domestic and international criticism, according to a recent gazette from the junta’s Information Ministry.

Established on January 31, the body is led by Deputy Defense Minister Major General Aung Myo Thant. According to the gazette, the body has seven tasks, all aimed at reinforcing the military’s political narrative and countering reports of its war crimes and human rights violations. The body will publish “Information Sheets” in Burmese, English, Chinese and Russian, presenting what it calls key government policies in short, simplified formats. These will be distributed to embassies and military attaché offices in “real time.” China and Russia are key allies and major arms suppliers of the regime.

 

The body will use multiple social media platforms to promote the junta’s activities, highlight socalled “nationbuilding efforts,” and produce “moraleboosting content” for soldiers, military families and civil servants.

It will also monitor and respond to criticism from opposition groups and independent media and conduct other “real-time” information operations. Since the 2021 coup, the junta, its supporters and junta-backed media have relied on staterun broadcasters including MRTV, English-language MITV and Myawaddy, as well as newspapers such as The Mirror, Kyemon and the English-language Global New Light of Myanmar, to push its narrative. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/junta-forms-multilingual-propaganda-body-to-counter.html