
The Myanmar government today (3 January) blamed fabricated stories and incorrectly-captioned pictures for creating a misunderstanding about Rakhine state to the rest of the world.
The Information Committee of the State Counsellor's Office said the fake news posted on social media of events purporting to have occurred in the country but actually happening in other places began to circulate in earnest after the 9 October armed attacks in Maungtaw.
It brought criticism and condemnation to Myanmar by some countries and rights groups across the world. The Office said:
Such intentionally fabricated news and photos were sent to international media, human rights organisations and governments in an attempt to cause misunderstanding about Myanmar.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.