7.2. Increased anger and shock at atrocities
Increases in “Angry” and “Wow” reactions provide
Angry reactions
a map of the public’s negative sentiment when
increased by +906% on
accessing media. The proportion of reactions that
were Angry tripled after the coup from 3% to 8%.
independent media
Over the five years, they grew by +525% overall, but
this growth was uneven. Angry reactions increased
by +906% on independent media but dropped by -53% on military-affiliated outlets.
This indicates an increase in the public’s desire to exercise the right to dissent in
response to military repression, and to demand accountability for violations of the
rights to life, liberty, and security of person.
The proportion of Wow reactions may have dropped from 7% to 5%, but they still
remain significant and reveal a public in shock. Wow reactions represent
astonishment, amazement, and disbelief. They grew by +73% for the independent
media but shrank for the military-affiliated media by -74%. The decline of Wow
reactions on military-affiliated media shows a total breakdown of State credibility,
representing a public rejection of propaganda that attempts to distort the right to
credible information.
7.3. Collective grief through “Sad Face”
The growth of “Sad Face” reactions shows increased
Local-level media, which
collective mourning. Since the coup, Sad Face
often cover human
reactions have grown by +365% overall, with 98% of
this sentiment on independent media. Local-level
rights violations in
media, which often cover human rights violations in
depth, saw a +1,506%
depth, saw a +1,506% increase in Sad Face reactions.
increase in Sad Face
Media outlets with a pro-opposition editorial stance
also saw an increase of +670%. A small proportion
reactions
of Sad Face reactions are on posts by militaryaffiliated media (2%). This growth in collective
mourning preserves public memory and reinforces the human dignity of those
people whose fundamental rights have been violated by the military.
7.4. Using the “Haha” reaction to “troll” independent media
The “Haha” Reaction has become a tool for “trolling” independent journalism rather
than an expression of humour. It has grown in use by +117% since the coup and is
found almost entirely on independent media posts. In 2026, there were over 2 million
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