Since July 30, many mobile phone users in Myanmar have reported receiving frequent propaganda SMS messages from local telecom operators, including ATOM, MPT, Mytel, and Ooredoo. The messages, sent automatically, appear to invite members of anti-junta armed resistance groups, known as PDFs (People’s Defense Forces), to surrender and cooperate with the military junta.
The messages contain phrases such as, “Join hands with the government and military to work for the national interest, including surrendering members of armed groups like the PDFs,” and include links to statements posted on the junta’s Ministry of Information website.
A resident from Mawlamyine said, “I received one on July 30. It looked like it was sent to everyone. When I clicked the link, it led to a six-point announcement. I assume the military communication commission instructed the operators to send it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t. It’s clearly propaganda.”
Beyond SMS messages, similar content has been spreading across state-run media, TV channels, and Telegram channels, showcasing supposed PDF members defecting, surrendering, or seeking amnesty.
A youth from the resistance movement said the messages are clearly part of a coordinated campaign to pressure resistance fighters into surrendering, especially as the junta pushes toward holding an election.
“They’re pushing this idea of ‘coming into the light’ [surrendering]. As the junta tries to organize an election, they want to show that the country is stable. This kind of messaging, targeting PDF members, creates division within the resistance. It’s the same tactic they’ve always used,” he added.
He added that by using the prolonged duration of the revolution as an opportunity, the military junta is attempting to sow distrust and division among resistance groups like the PDF through psychological and media warfare.
As a result, resistance organizations have stated they do not trust the junta’s invitations and have no intention of cooperating or laying down arms.
According to junta-controlled social media channels, from July 17 to 30, a 14-day period, about 130 individuals from groups such as TNLA, DPLA, MDY-PDF, and Yawngan PDF reportedly surrendered to the military.
Photo: Screenshot of a propaganda SMS sent by the military junta to a mobile phone
