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Min Aung Hlaing’s “civilian” government rests on a sophisticated propaganda architecture, and the independent media needed to challenge it is running out of funds.
The website of CNI Myanmar, a Yangon-based news agency founded in 2021, as seen on Jun. 8, 2026.
On April 10, Myanmar’s most heavily sanctioned general donned a longyi and declared himself president, marking the culmination of a carefully planned political transition. Min Aung Hlaing’s inauguration also represented the endpoint of a propaganda campaign that had been in development since January 2025. Understanding this propaganda machine – who built it, how it operates, and who amplifies it internationally – is important not just for Myanmar analysts, but also for every government in the region considering whether to normalize relations with the new government.
The Machine
