Incorrect photos carried by Myanmar media outlets worsen Rakhine situation’

Eain Soe Phyu

Narinjara News, 26 May 2024

The Arakan analysts stated that the situation in the Rakhine region has deteriorated due to news with incorrect photographs carried by Myanmar media outlets.

On 17 May, some media outlets based outside the region accused the Arakha Army (AA) of committing arson attacks in Buthidaung. They reported news with incorrect photos leading to worsen the situation in Arakan State.

"They are seemingly determined to attack, disgrace and exert pressure on the ULA/AA. Meanwhile, 195 organizations issued statements with one sided facts. Some organizations are not known to us," said veteran Arakanese politician U Pe Than.

He also added  that the journalists should report the news only after thoroughly understanding the ground situation.

"The spread of false news and photos is unfairly implicating the ULA/AA and painting them as directly responsible for the situation. It’s particularly rampant in foreign news outlets. Given the difficulty in verifying information on the ground, it's crucial for journalists to prioritize accuracy in their reporting. Without verification, the reporting becomes akin to lobbying, moulding narratives to fit for vested interested elements,” he added.

On 18 May, RFA Burmese reported that ‘approximately 30 Rohingyas were killed in an attack in Buthidaung town’, while the item included an image of a fire incident at Vawmm'Tu hospital in Mindat town of Chin State. Two more reports on Buthidaung fire included images of Sane town as featured by DVB English website.

On the same day, the BBC Myanmar also reported that ‘almost the entire town was burned down in Buthidaung’, but mistakenly used the same image of the fire at Vawmm'Tu hospital. The BBC later removed the photo but took six hours to do so.

Rohingya activist Ro Nay San Lwin shared the news on social media leading to more deterioration of the Rakhine situation.

On 23 May, Nicholas Koumjian (United Nations), the head of independent investigative mechanism for Myanmar, stated that he was examining numerous reports of intense clashes between the Myanmar military personnel and AA fighters, including reports related to the displacement of thousands of Muslim civilians due to the violence and property destruction in Buthidaung township.

Nan Paw Gay, chairperson of Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM) admitted the difficulty in obtaining on-the-ground photographs by the journalists.

"During the period, it was exceedingly difficult to obtain on-the-ground photos. Therefore, it's crucial that we ensure there's no discrepancy between the location and the date of incident when sourcing pictures for our news coverage," she said.