5/1/2021 A Preliminary Analysis of the Myanmar Military Junta’s Media Propaganda – Tea Circle in uential persons and themes, the military is trying to build up its image as an entity dedicated to religious development alongside nationalism and patriotism. In addition, the State Administration Council tends to get public recognition as a legitimate government when media repeatedly uses the phrases “in accordance with the laws,” “democratic practices,” “eternal peace,” and so on, with this language set on proving that they can function well as a government body. However, one notable element is that, despite the military’s promise to prioritize electoral politics and democratize the nation as soon as possible, according to their speeches and articles, it is clear that they intend to merely implement a political system aligned with their interests that will strategically perpetuate some of the nation’s instabilities, which generally bene t the military. Another component of the most prominent propaganda seeks to strengthen national unity by encouraging the engagement of ethnic minorities. While the military-owned Myawaddy newspaper describes its audience as “civilian citizens”, the Ministry of Information newspapers refer to it as “ethnic people and civilian citizens.” Furthermore, emphasizing the military’s community contributions in frontier regions and rural areas, including its aid to ethnic minorities and repeated statements of nationalist slogans imply that this propaganda targets not only the majority but also minorities. To counter the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement, the media publicized reminders and requests as a part of their propaganda efforts. Particularly common were accusations about healthcare workers’ lack of professionalism for taking part in CDM, frequent requests that civil servants return to their respective workplaces, and reminders that individuals’ refusal to work could impact their own family members. These underscore the in-depth consequences of this movement in terms of destabilizing bureaucratic mechanisms. Studying the character and in uence of media propaganda in Myanmar since the coup reinforces the importance of the press reporting only timely, up-todate, and reliable news, and of citizens to educate each other about media literacy, sharing only accurate information. As follow-up research, analysis of the readers’ behavioural change and resultant opinions (the audience’s response is a limitation of this research) should be conducted to provide more https://teacircleoxford.com/2021/03/09/a-preliminary-analysis-of-the-myanmar-military-juntas-media-propaganda/ 11/16