Since the visit by Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, propaganda leaflets have been distributed within Myanmar carrying the FM’s picture.
The handout, so far only reported to have been distributed in townships within Mandalay and Thabeikkyin in the Mandalay Region, shows images of the Thai FM alongside pictures of the imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi.
Accompanying the pictures were phrases that, when translated and summarised, amount to Aung San Suu Kyi denouncing the parallel National Unity Government (NUG) and other political, armed efforts by the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and other organisations.
There were also screenshots taken from Facebook pages of what are believed to be NUG supporters, with a pamphlet claiming that the handouts were lying about Aung San Suu Kyi denouncing them.
It is worth noting that there were no direct quotes from either the Thai FM or Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to local news media Myanmar Now, the distribution of the leaflets was limited to two locations within the Mandalay Region. The state-owned news media and other media organisations, however, have also reported on 8 youths, who were supposedly from the PDF, laying down their arms and turning themselves in.
Many netizens believe this to be a concerted effort to spread misinformation, in an attempt to reduce public support for anti-government organisations in rural areas, as the reporting of interviews with the 8 youths appeared right after the news that the Thai FM had visited Myanmar.
For now, Myanmar remains mired in political and socio-economic woes, which have largely worsened due to the 2021 coup and the years of the COVID pandemic.
International bodies continue to put restrictions on Myanmar and its influential people and organisations.
On July 20th, the European Union announced that 6 individuals and a state-owned business have been sanctioned, as a result of the increasing violence, breaches of human rights and risks to peace and stability in Myanmar.
Among the newly sanctioned, adding to the 99 individuals and 19 organisations already sanctioned, are three ministers from the immigration, labour, health and sports ministries.
