Myanmar junta, Russia govt cooperate in information sharing through mouthpiece media outlets

Mizzima

The Myanmar junta’s propaganda mouthpiece the Global New Light of Myanmar signed a cooperation agreement with Sputnik Information Agency funded by the Russian government on 5 September.

Under the agreement on “Russia-Myanmar Information Cooperation”, the two news agencies will collaborate in information sharing and media affairs, according to junta’s media outlets.

Military Council Information Minister Maung Maung Ohn said at the signing ceremony that the cooperation of the two news agencies could create chances for Myanmar journalists to study news writing, editing and photography techniques, and both sides could exchange their views on the art of journalism.

The Sputnik news agency is one of the two main Kremlin-funded media outlets, along with Russia Today (RT). Both of these news agencies play a crucial role in Russian government’s media outreach and propaganda ecosystem. 

The US Department of State’s Global Engagement Center made a special report titled: “Kremlin-Funded Media: RT and Sputnik's Role in Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem” in January 2022 in which they said that Russian state-funded and state-directed media outlets RT and Sputnik are critical elements in Russia’s disinformation and propaganda ecosystem, and these news agencies are not transparent. Their overall goals appear to be fundamentally different from independent media.
The GEC Special Report also said RT and Sputnik also interact with other pillars of the ecosystem by amplifying content from Kremlin and Kremlin-aligned proxy sites (some of which are connected to Russian intelligence), weaponizing social media, and promoting cyber-enabled disinformation. 

Relations between Myanmar and Russia have moved into high gear in recent years after the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. Naypyidaw has increased its reliance on Moscow for advanced weapons systems and technical training of military officers as the former has faced stronger international sanctions and diplomatic isolation, while the two countries are actively exploring ways to strengthen their security and economic ties.