Reports of leadership changes and power disputes within the Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), are deliberate misinformation spread by the coup junta to disintegrate KNU/KNLA, according to KNU spokesperson Padoh Saw Kale Say.
On July 3, some of the junta's propaganda Telegram channels began spreading news of an intense power dispute among KNU leadership, claiming that current KNLA Commander-in-Chief, General Saw Johnny, had been removed from his position and former KNU Chairman, Saw Mutu Say Poe, had retired as an executive.
Padoh Saw Kale Say refuted all these claims, clarifying that they were merely misinformation spread by the junta with the aim of crumbling KNU/KNLA.
"These reports are just completely incorrect and nonsensical trash. Even the leaders mentioned in the news are unaware of anything claimed in the news. They are all currently performing their duties normally. We believe the purpose of spreading false information targeting top KNU leaders is to crumble the KNU”, he said.
He also remarked that the junta has consistently relied on the tactic of spreading misinformation to mislead and deceive the public.
Entities like the KNU, pivotal in the post-coup revolutionary movement against military dictatorship, are increasingly targeted by misinformation spread across digital platforms, research indicated.
Activities of spreading the same misinformation across various digital platforms have been observed. Recently, the claim that the KNU/KNLA leadership is in crisis has been shared tens of thousands of times on pro-Junta Telegram channels.
On the other hand, the junta is intensifying crackdowns on the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), attempting to cut off the public's access to independent and reliable news outlets and blocking their right to know the truth, according to the media community.
Another KNU spokesperson, Padoh Saw Taw Nee, stated in an interview with the Khit Thit media group on July 6 that the junta's attempts to spread false information about KNU were just futile efforts to disrupt unity within his organization and create divisions.
