"The Power of Social-Media in the Myanmar Conflict"
How Digital Platforms are Empowering Citizens and Influencing the Ongoing Struggle for Democracy in Myanmar.
On April 23, 2023, an exclusive video was uploaded to Facebook's official account.
It was reported that on April 20, 2023, The People's Defense Alliance ("PDF") attacked the Military Council Force (70 soldiers) that had arrived for rest inside a monastery in Bo-So-Kon Township, Mandalay region.
According to a statement, three fighters were killed during a drone attack while they were hiding in the nearest school.
The attack was carried out by the "Thabanjin Guerrilla Force."
From watching the video, we can learn about the Junta's habit of invading monasteries and schools in small towns, as well as the high level of intelligence and precision of the fighting forces opposing the oppressive regime.
Another thing we can learn is the importance of social networks in the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, both in boosting the morale of residents in remote towns and in documenting the regime's soldiers' crimes, such as their entry and visits to monasteries and schools.
There is no need to explain how such a picture raises the morale of the villagers that the Junta soldiers were near.
Propaganda videos are uploaded every day by Burmese Social Media accounts, glorifying the achievements of the opposing forces, such as weapons capture or precision targeting from the air.
Social networks in Myanmar play an important role both in raising the morale of the residents who suffer from Junta rule, especially those in the remote towns, and in documenting the crimes of the regime's soldiers, as in this video documenting their entry and visits to monasteries and schools.
And of course, you can learn a lot about the determination and striving for contact of the fighting forces despite the use of DIY Drones for example.
In the end, it is the success that motivates the persistent struggle to continue.
From a personal aspect, I learned about the presence of another determined force that I did not know, the "Thabanjin Guerrilla Force".
Another one of the 13 sub-groups that comprise the People's Defence Forces "PDF", in addition to the various guerrilla groups.
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April 2023.