1/3/22, 11:44 AM Inside the origins of a conspiracy theory about Myanmar and China While the BBC’s Cole later clarified (https://twitter.com/freya_cole/status/1362027932718399492) that the characters were not an indication of Chinese government involvement, social media users discussing Myanmar quickly circulated her original post on Facebook (https://archive.vn/opelB) and Twitter (https://archive.vn/Tmz8X) as validation of their concerns, urging others (https://archive.vn/JxqaJ) to send Cole evidence so the alleged collusion could be exposed. In the case of Cole’s tweet, the use of social media for journalistic inquiry inadvertently became a mechanism for the spread of a conspiracy theory. Amid the larger questions about China’s relationship with Myanmar, the technical errors that resulted in Chinese characters being shown on digital devices became one node in a larger complex of conspiracy theories. The theory about the characters was used to support larger conspiracy narratives which, at the moment, remain far from proven: the idea that a China-style web surveillance regime was being set up in Myanmar; and that China was involved in the military coup there. The example of the Chinese characters demonstrates how a volatile situation such as Myanmar’s can fuel conspiracy theories, which draw on a lack of trust in authorities. With a knowledge deficit created by Myanmar and China’s opaque politics and relations, speculation and rumors continue to run rampant. Stay up to date with First Draft’s work by becoming a subscriber (https://firstdraftnews.org/briefings) and following us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstdraftnews) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/firstdraftnews). Related articles VAERS: How to How anti-Muslim stop content spreads misinformation on YouTube in https://firstdraftnews.org/articles/inside-the-origins-of-a-conspiracy-theory-about-myanmar-and-china/ 5/8