This paper examines how Myanmar’s armed forces (Tatmadaw) have used digital platforms as instruments of political influence and control since the country’s political transition in 2011. Drawing on securitization theory, social conflict theory, and digital repression literature, the study investigates how the military used online networks to strengthen its legitimacy during the post-transition period and suppress anti-coup resistance after February 2021. Using qualitative content analysis of official statements, state media, social media content, and reports from international organizations, the study finds that digital platforms played a central role in military propaganda, disinformation campaigns, hate speech dissemination, and political surveillance. The findings further demonstrate that online technologies were used to influence public opinion during the Rohingya crisis, the 2015 and 2020 elections, and the post-coup period. At the same time, digital technologies enabled anti-coup activists and civil society groups to organize resistance, document human rights violations, and mobilize international support. The Myanmar case highlights the growing importance of digital spaces in contemporary authoritarian governance and democratic resistance.
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Conference: WCSS2026 Stream: Cultural and Media Studies
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