Latest news with #Burmese-language
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Photo shows crashed Myanmar army chopper in 2022, not 2025
The image of a crashed helicopter on a hillside was shared on Facebook on May 20, 2025. "The result of a grilled dragonfly in Bhamo (20/5 - 1:00 pm)," reads its Burmese-language caption, using local slang for a military helicopter and referring to a city in Myanmar's northern Kachin state. The image circulated after local media said two military helicopters had been shot down, reportedly by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Myanmar on May 20 (archived links here and here). According to local media, the KIA resumed attacks on Myanmar's ruling military junta following a quake-rehabilitation truce throughout Kachin State, Northern Shan State and Sagaing Region (archived link). The junta had initially declared a truce in the country's many-sided civil war after a huge quake in late March killed nearly 3,800 and left tens of thousands homeless (archived link). Combat in the civil war is largely confined to the countryside and smaller settlements, although sporadic grenade and gun attacks on police and junta-affiliated targets are regularly reported in the largest city Yangon. The same image circulated in similar posts elsewhere on Facebook here, here and here. But the photo has circulated online since March 2022. A reverse image search on Google found the same photo was used in a report titled "Five injured after a military helicopter crashed on a mountainside in Hakha", which was published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua's Burmese-language edition on March 29, 2022 (archived link). The photo caption reads: "Scene of the military helicopter that crashed in Hakha today (MRTV)". Hakha is the capital of Chin State, nearly 800 km southwest of Bhamo in Kachin State. The report says the military helicopter was carrying exam papers when it crashed on a mountainside "due to a strong wind". The same photo was also used in a report by Myanmar's state-run broadcaster Myanmar International TV on March 29, 2022 (archived link). "Helicopter accident: Tatmadaw helicopter accident near Hakha airport confirmed," reads the report's title, using the military's Burmese name. Other local media also covered the crash here and here (archived here and here). AFP previously debunked a similar claim that shared a photo from the same crash as a helicopter shot down by anti-junta fighters here.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Photo shows crashed Myanmar army chopper in 2022, not 2025
The image of a crashed helicopter on a hillside was shared on Facebook on May 20, 2025. "The result of a grilled dragonfly in Bhamo (20/5 - 1:00 pm)," reads its Burmese-language caption, using local slang for a military helicopter and referring to a city in Myanmar's northern Kachin state. The image circulated after local media said two military helicopters had been shot down, reportedly by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Myanmar on May 20 (archived links here and here). According to local media, the KIA resumed attacks on Myanmar's ruling military junta following a quake-rehabilitation truce throughout Kachin State, Northern Shan State and Sagaing Region (archived link). The junta had initially declared a truce in the country's many-sided civil war after a huge quake in late March killed nearly 3,800 and left tens of thousands homeless (archived link). Combat in the civil war is largely confined to the countryside and smaller settlements, although sporadic grenade and gun attacks on police and junta-affiliated targets are regularly reported in the largest city Yangon. The same image circulated in similar posts elsewhere on Facebook here, here and here. But the photo has circulated online since March 2022. A reverse image search on Google found the same photo was used in a report titled "Five injured after a military helicopter crashed on a mountainside in Hakha", which was published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua's Burmese-language edition on March 29, 2022 (archived link). The photo caption reads: "Scene of the military helicopter that crashed in Hakha today (MRTV)". Hakha is the capital of Chin State, nearly 800 km southwest of Bhamo in Kachin State. The report says the military helicopter was carrying exam papers when it crashed on a mountainside "due to a strong wind". The same photo was also used in a report by Myanmar's state-run broadcaster Myanmar International TV on March 29, 2022 (archived link). "Helicopter accident: Tatmadaw helicopter accident near Hakha airport confirmed," reads the report's title, using the military's Burmese name. Other local media also covered the crash here and here (archived here and here). AFP previously debunked a similar claim that shared a photo from the same crash as a helicopter shot down by anti-junta fighters here.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
CCTV clip of Brazil robbery falsely linked to Burmese anti-junta fighters
The video of an armed robber stealing a mobile phone and fleeing the scene before being shot by another man has gained 38,000 views after it was shared on Facebook on May 13. "Said it happened in North Dagon. I am not sure if that's true but they said a PDF saved a foreigner," reads the Burmese-language caption, referring to the People's Defence Force, which was formed after a 2021 coup that has led to four years of conflict, spurring mass displacement and poverty (archived link). A devastating earthquake that struck in March killed 3,800 people and worsened the humanitarian situation, while the junta has continued to strike civilian targets despite a purported ceasefire to help the country recover from the disaster (archived links here and here). Similar posts claiming the video of the robbery was shot in Myanmar also emerged on Facebook. However, a reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the video found the incident took place in Brazil. Broadcaster CNN Brasil published an uncropped version of the video in a report on March 4 (archived link). The report's headline reads: "Video: student is robbed as he leaves the gym and off-duty police officer retaliates." The incident took place in Sao Paulo's Brooklin neighbourhood, on Francisco Dias Velho Road, Brazilian local media reported (archived link). A search of the location on Google Maps found a geotagged image of the exterior of the Junkyard Gym, which shows elements matching those seen in the CCTV footage of the robbery (archived link). Further keyword searches found the Junkyard Gym had uploaded additional CCTV footage of the robbery on its official Instagram account, which corresponded to Google Maps street view imagery of Francisco Del Velho Road (archived links here and here). AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to the PDF here, here and here.
AFP
23-05-2025
- AFP
CCTV clip of Brazil robbery falsely linked to Burmese anti-junta fighters
The video of an armed robber stealing a mobile phone and fleeing the scene before being shot by another man has gained 38,000 views after it was shared on Facebook on May 13. "Said it happened in North Dagon. I am not sure if that's true but they said a PDF saved a foreigner," reads the Burmese-language caption, referring to the People's Defence Force, which was formed after a 2021 coup that has led to four years of conflict, spurring mass displacement and poverty (archived link). Image Screenshot of false Facebook post taken on May 20, 2025 A devastating earthquake that struck in March killed 3,800 people and worsened the humanitarian situation, while the junta has continued to strike civilian targets despite a purported ceasefire to help the country recover from the disaster (archived links here and here). Similar posts claiming the video of the robbery was shot in Myanmar also emerged on Facebook. However, a reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the video found the incident took place in Brazil. Broadcaster CNN Brasil published an uncropped version of the video in a report on March 4 (archived link). The report's headline reads: "Video: student is robbed as he leaves the gym and off-duty police officer retaliates." Image Screenshot comparisons of false Facebook post (left) and CNN Brasil's report (right) The incident took place in Sao Paulo's Brooklin neighbourhood, on Francisco Dias Velho Road, Brazilian local media reported (archived link). A search of the location on Google Maps found a geotagged image of the exterior of the Junkyard Gym, which shows elements matching those seen in the CCTV footage of the robbery (archived link). Image Screenshot comparisons of CNN Brasil's report (left) and Google Maps' photo highlighted by AFP (right) Further keyword searches found the Junkyard Gym had uploaded additional CCTV footage of the robbery on its official Instagram account, which corresponded to Google Maps street view imagery of Francisco Del Velho Road (archived links here and here). Image Screenshot comparison of the CCTV footage uploaded by the gym (left) and street view imagery from Google Maps (right) AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to the PDF here, here and here.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dated plane crash visuals falsely linked to India-Pakistan crisis
Days before nuclear-armed India and Pakistan exchanged missile and artillery strikes in a major escalation of hostilities, a video showing the aftermath of a May 2020 plane crash surfaced in posts falsely linking it to the current conflict. There have been no reports of either side downing a passenger jet, contrary to the false posts. "Pakistan army shot down an Indian passenger plane near Pakistan's Karachi airport today, killing everyone," reads the Burmese-language caption of a video shared on Facebook on May 1, 2025. The video shows clips of crowds watching clouds of dark smoke rise from behind residential buildings. It surfaced after Pakistan said it had "credible intelligence" that India was planning an imminent military strike and vowed to retaliate, as the already frosty relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours plummeted further following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 (archived link). New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the attack in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead. Pakistan rejects the accusations and the two sides have exchanged nightly gunfire since April 24 along the contested region's de facto border. Despite calls from the international community to step back from the brink of war, the arch-rivals escalated their standoff by exchanging heavy artillery along their contested frontier with dead reported on both sides (archived link). Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on May 7, 2025 The same clips were shared in similar Burmese posts that claim the Pakistani military shot down a passenger jet, but do not say the plane was from India; the posts were viewed more than 9,000 times in total. There have been no official reports, however, of the Pakistani military shooting down a passenger plane in Karachi. A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the first clip in the video led to the same footage in a compilation posted by Britain's Independent newspaper on May 22, 2020 (archived link). The compilation is embedded in a report about a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight that crashed near Karachi. AFP reported PIA Flight 8303 was flying from Lahore when it plunged into a neighbourhood in Karachi after making multiple approaches to land at the city's airport (archived link). The crash killed 97 people on board and one girl on the ground. Investigators said there was no technical issue with the plane, and the government blamed the pilots. The clip used in the false posts can be seen at the 59-second mark of the compilation. Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the footage from the Independent's compilation (right) Combined reverse image and keyword searches on Google found the second clip in the falsely shared video had previously been uploaded to YouTube by the Guardian on the same day (archived link). Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the same footage in the Guardian's video (right) AFP has debunked other false claims stemming from the attack in Kashmir here and here.
