Myanmar Military Forms Task Force for Global Psychological Warfare Campaign

Myanmar Military Forms Task Force to Counter Opposition Narratives

The Myanmar military junta has established a new high-level task force dedicated to intensifying information operations against revolutionary forces and countering unfavorable coverage from international media outlets, according to a report published by Myanmar Gazette on February 27.

The 12-member group, officially named the “Information Sheet Publication and Counter-Information Dissemination Group,” was formed in late January and has already begun its mission to conduct psychological warfare against armed insurgent groups while systematically refuting reports from independent media organizations.

Major General Aung Myo Thant, the junta’s Deputy Minister of Defense, heads the newly formed task force. Brigadier General Soe Nyunt, Deputy Chief of the Training Depot, serves as secretary, while Police Major General Win Bo, Deputy Chief of the Myanmar Police Force, has been appointed joint secretary.

Other prominent members include Major General Aung Khin Thein, Vice Judge Advocate General; Brigadier General San Nyo Win from the Public Relations and Psychological Warfare Directorate; U Aye Kwal, Director-General at the Ministry of Information; and Dr. Thida Tin, who leads the Media Development Department.

According to official statements, the group’s primary mandate is to “conduct information operations against insurgent organizations that are fighting against the state government through armed means.” The initiative represents a significant escalation in the junta’s propaganda efforts amid ongoing resistance to its rule since the February 2021 military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The task force will focus on multiple fronts of information warfare. One key objective is publishing morale-boosting content specifically targeting military officers, their families, and civil servants working under the military regime – groups whose continued loyalty is crucial for the junta’s survival.

In an apparent attempt to gain international legitimacy, the group will also oversee the translation of key policy-related reports from state-run newspapers into multiple languages, including English, Russian, and Chinese. These translated materials will be distributed to embassies and military attaché offices both within Myanmar and abroad, suggesting the regime is increasingly concerned about its international image.

The task force represents a sophisticated expansion of the junta’s information control apparatus, which has grown increasingly complex since the military seized power. Social media platforms will be leveraged to disseminate pro-regime messaging to both domestic and international audiences, while rapid response teams will work to counter and refute reporting from opposition media outlets.

Media analysts note this development comes amid continued territorial losses for the military regime and growing international isolation. The establishment of such a specialized propaganda unit indicates the junta’s recognition that the information battlefield is as critical as physical confrontations with resistance forces.

This is not the junta’s first formalized attempt at information control. Since mid-2025, it has operated a body known as the Community Development Committee, which focuses on rallying public support for the military while denouncing revolutionary forces through coordinated propaganda campaigns.

The formation of this new task force coincides with intensifying conflict across much of Myanmar, where ethnic armed organizations and People’s Defense Forces have gained significant ground against military forces in recent months. Independent media outlets have documented numerous military defeats and alleged war crimes, reporting that has clearly frustrated the regime’s leadership.

Human rights organizations have expressed concern that the new information unit could signal increased persecution of journalists and media organizations that refuse to comply with the junta’s narratives. Since the coup, dozens of journalists have been detained, media licenses revoked, and independent news outlets forced to operate from exile.