In some places, if they check bags and make us walk, we also need to be extremely polite, addressing them as “big bro”... or “sir” (sayar), even if we don't mean it. We engage in small talk, asking, “How are you?” and tell them where we come from and where we are going, to get familiar with them. Then they don't check as much. When attempts to blend in are unsuccessful and military inspection ensues regardless, the same journalist observed that it becomes crucial to adopt a posture of pretence: appearing as though one has connections with military authorities. This approach, while risky, underscores the earlier point that, due to the lack of sophisticated inspection and surveillance techniques by the military, on-the-ground manual inspections can be circumvented by leveraging cultural sensitivities and understanding human psychology. Sometimes when they go around and they check [...] the important thing is that I cannot give them the impression that I am scared before they even start checking. If they detect something is wrong, then they will check. They [the checkpoint officials] are just ground personnel. So, sometimes I pretend that I am connected to this or that senior official and say that I have just come back from a meeting. Then they get scared and just say, “Yes, yes.” This approach should not be mistaken for a safe security measure. The journalist in question is working inside Myanmar and has been partially granted access to information, such as calls or interviews with military officers. Even with this level of access—or even with a military-recognised media licence—there is no assurance that they will not face arrest by the military at any time. As such, fabricating stories can entail greater dangers if there is even a slight misstep. Similar to other tactics detailed in this report, these are makeshift tactics employed to circumvent scrutiny. 38