While such tactics are common worldwide, they can be particularly influential in Myanmar, according to four researchers interviewed by Reuters who said the population receives most of its information via social media rather than directly from established news outlets, and Facebook is regularly used by over half the population. Many opposition activists are using some similar methods, creating duplicate accounts to fill "Twitter teams" with hundreds of thousands of members and making anti-junta hashtags trend, according to the review and four activist sources. Posts often referred to people who opposed the junta as "enemies of the state" and "terrorists", and variously said they wanted to destroy the army, the country and the Buddhist religion.Īlso Read | Former US diplomat and hostage negotiator on visit to Myanmar In over 100 cases, the messages or videos were duplicated across dozens of copycat accounts within minutes, as well as on online groups, purported fan channels for Myanmar celebrities and sports teams and purported news outlets, data from Facebook-owned online tracking tool Crowdtangle showed. International election watchdogs said in a May report that the vote was fair.Ī Reuters review of thousands of social media posts in 2021 found that about 200 military personnel, using their personal accounts on platforms including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Telegram, regularly posted messages or videos alleging fraud at the election and denouncing anti-coup protesters as traitors. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, is pushing its campaign online even as it puts down protests on the streets, nine months after it ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying her National League for Democracy had fraudulently won the November 2020 vote. The eight people with knowledge of the social media drive all asked to remain anonymous, citing fears of retaliation, with the exception of Nyi Thuta and Captain Lin Htet Aung, who defected from the army in April.Īlso read | US concerned over Myanmar army operations in Chin state, town ablaze
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In September, a junta spokesperson on army-owned Myawaddy TV accused media groups and opposition activists of spreading "fake news" about the situation in Myanmar. The 31-year-old said he was part of the army's propaganda operations until his defection, writing speeches for military chief Min Aung Hlaing.Ī spokesperson for the military government did not respond to repeated requests for comment on its social media tactics. "They also monitor activity online and join (anti-coup) online groups to track them."
"Soldiers are asked to create several fake accounts and are given content segments and talking points that they have to post," said Captain Nyi Thuta, who defected from the army to join rebel forces at the end of February.
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