On February 1, 2024, the 3rd anniversary of the coup, Ma Ba Ta monks gathered and demonstrated in support of the military in the center of Yangon.
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In addition to military attacks, the Myanmar junta is using propaganda as a weapon of psychological warfare. Through misinformation, rumours, half-truths and lies, they try to sway public opinion.
After Operation 1027 began, Mizzima analyzed how the Military Council was making propaganda according to the changing political and military conditions.
Ground Zero of this drive involves the Myanmar junta depicting their army as the sons of Buddha, fighting for Buddhism since ancient times.
From the era of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)1988-1997 until now, their propaganda has been more favourable to Buddhism, said Ye Hein Aung, a researcher at the Burma Civil War Museum.
“After 2010, we saw a lot of talk about people who are protecting Buddhism. In particular, the Burmese military has always portrayed itself as the sons of God, the defenders of Buddhism, and the patriotic army throughout the period when it ruled and manipulated the country.”
During the democracy uprising in 1988-1090s, and during the Rakhine conflict, there were such conversations, he said.
Even after the 2021 coup, the Military Council army, which has been killing people in various ways, burning villages, setting houses on fire, killing civilians, and bombing areas with aircraft, continued to call itself the “Patriotic Army”.
During Operation 1027, after the junta lost Lauk Kaing town in Shan State, a video emerged of a Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) soldier destroying a pagoda on Point 2022 hill near the town. In this regard, MNDAA also apologized for the actions of their fighter, saying that it was not an order from the army, but a personal act and they said they respected religious worship, and there was absolutely no opposition to religion or orders to destroy religious buildings. It has also been said that the relevant department has been instructed to take action and punish the accused.
However, this event became a big propaganda and campaigning issue for radical nationalist activists as well as the Military Council and its lobbies. On 9 January 2024, the day after the video began to spread, radical nationalist activists held protests against the incident in the major cities of Yangon,
Mandalay, Myitkyina, and Taunggyi, as well as all over Shan State. According to a Myanmar-based research organisation, in January alone, protests involving at least 50 to 3,000 people were held in 45 townships.
Among the groups leading the protest were ultra-nationalist organisations such as the Union of Patriotic Myanmar Monks, the Mon Patriotic Union, the Myanmar National Network, the Nay Pyi Taw National Organisation, the Myawati National Organisation, the Irrawaddy National Alliance, as well as the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the media such as Myanmar Hard Talk.
These groups are proxy groups of the Military Council as well as the Patriotic Association of Myanmar or Ma Ba Ta.
Other well-known individuals lobbying for the junta’s religious propaganda include, Tha Zin Oo, 550 Sayartaw known to the people as Ashin Wathawa, Ashin Sandathiri (Mee Eain Shin Sayartaw), Zaw Pyan Taung Sayartaw, ShweInTaw Sayartaw, U PyinNyar (Ancient Buddhist Monk), Myo Tarke Ashin PoneNya Sayartaw, Taungthalay Sayartaw, Zwegabin Sayartaw, Pauk KoTaw, Thuseikta, Kan Nyi Naung Kyar Ta Pwint, and Sayartaw U Kesara.
At the protest held in Taunggyi in southern Shan State, it was reported that locals and militiamen were forced to follow.
On the other hand, since the start of Operation 1027, there have been statements condemning and opposing this operation.
In addition to religious groups, such as Young Men Buddhist Association (YMBA), Interfaith Dialogue Group Myanmar, All Myanmar Hindu Central Council, All Myanmar Islamic Religious Organisation, Methodist Church-Lower Myanmar, which is the junta military’s proxy, art associations such as Myanmar Theatrical Organization (Center), and Myanmar Comedians Association, also issued statements and protested about Operation 1027.
“The difference is that many of the statements are copy-pasted statements. After the alleged destruction of a Buddhist pagoda in Kokang, we see an increase in such statements,” said researcher Ye Hein Aung.
A researcher based in Myanmar said, “Currently, the way they are going is inciting genocide based on religion. It’s shaping up to be a form of foreign invasion. More religious activities may continue.”
“Patriotic Association of Myanmar’s monks, who have been quietly saying they are not from any side, reappeared in the MNDAA issue. For example, monks like Zwegabin Sayartaw reappeared in protests. They made statements and protested,” she said.
At the same time, state-owned newspapers and military-owned newspapers also portrayed the MNDAA, Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA) groups – the Three Brotherhood Alliance who started Operation 1027 – as religious insurgents who initiated the actions of the MNDAA soldiers.
The video file of General Zaw Min Tun, the head of the press release team of the junta Military Council, condemning the MNDAA soldier’s actions, is still being distributed in English with the aim of reaching the international community.
What does the international community know about the Myanmar junta? The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has released a report on its observation from the time of the coup on February 1, 2021 to April 30, 2023 in Myanmar.
In this report, it is written that 190 religious buildings were destroyed due to the acts of the Military Council. There are at least 110 uses of religious buildings by the Burmese military as military camps and interrogation centres. According to the ICJ report, 117 religious workers, including mostly Buddhist monks, Christian religious workers and Islamic clerics were detained.
On the one hand, the Military Council is easily carrying out violence against religious buildings and religious workers, and is exaggerating the actions of the revolutionary forces.
Researcher Ye Hein Aung noted that these actions were “a case of confusing a political issue with religion. These are intentional actions to turn the civil war into a religious conflict.”
Through the Military Council lobby channels, the northern battles under Operation 1027 were spread as a story of foreign invasion. At the same time, it also led to hatred of China.
It is not a fight for democracy, it is not a fight to overthrow the military dictatorship, but it is still portrayed as a just war led by the Tatmadaw using the words “this is a war of foreign aggression” and “a pre-planned war of foreign aggression”.
On the other hand, the Military Council issued a notice on 15 December about the formation of a committee to take legal action against people posting fake or false news, indecent posts, and making political attacks on the internet.
An order has been issued in the name of Lieutenant-General Aung Lin Dwe to block the perpetrators’ telephone numbers, close their bank accounts, obtain the withdrawal information and temporarily block their bank accounts, and prosecute them according to existing laws.
According to a statement released by Data for Myanmar, an independent organisation that provides data on Myanmar, more than 1,480 people have been arrested for online support of opposition forces critical of the junta. From 29 February 2022 to 30 January 2024, it describes the arrests of the junta over a period of almost two years.
In addition to doing such actions that affect freedom of expression, the junta is ignoring the incitement and hate speech of their lobbies that lead to religious and ethnic conflict.
The Acting President of the National Unity Government (NUG) Duwa Lashi La said at a cabinet meeting held on 30 January: “We must take special care to avoid ethnic landmines that deepen ethnic cracks. We need to be able to avoid old mistakes and we must always be politically alert to avoid making new mistakes.”
All in all, the Myanmar junta is using propaganda as a powerful tool against those opposed to the coup and their brutal rule.
