Guest contributor
James Shwe
The illegal military junta, desperate and increasingly isolated, has made its latest move not on the battlefield, but in the halls of power in Washington D.C.
They have hired an American lobbying firm, DCI Group, for a staggering $3 million USD per year to try and purchase the one thing they can never earn: legitimacy.
This is not just a political maneuver; it is an insult to every citizen of Myanmar, paid for with the nation’s resources while our people suffer.
It is crucial for every person in Myanmar to understand who the junta has hired and what this partnership truly means for our struggle for democracy.
Who is DCI Group? A firm known for aiding pariahs
DCI Group is a public relations and lobbying firm based in Washington D.C. They are not diplomats; they are influence peddlers. Their job is to change perceptions, clean up ugly realities, and make the unacceptable seem palatable.
They have a long and storied history of working for controversial clients, including authoritarian governments and corporations facing public condemnation for their practices.
These firms are notorious for a tactic called “astroturfing”—creating fake grassroots movements to give the illusion of public support for their client’s agenda.
For millions of dollars, they manufacture support that doesn’t exist in reality. The junta, which has zero popular support, is a perfect client for a firm like DCI.
What the junta expects for its $3 million
According to the contract filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, DCI Group has been hired to “rebuild relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief”.[1]
Let us be clear about what this means. The junta wants DCI to convince the U.S. government to:
- Lift sanctions, allowing them to profit from our nation’s oil, gas, and other resources.
- Normalize relations, treating their illegal coup as a legitimate transfer of power.
- Control the narrative on humanitarian aid, positioning themselves as saviors rather than the cause of the crisis.
They are paying for a lie—the lie that they are a legitimate government worthy of international partnership.
A contract built on deception
In its official filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), DCI and the junta have already been caught in a lie. The contract they signed includes a clause stating that the client—the Ministry of Information—is not “blocked pursuant to U.S. economic sanctions.”[1]
This is a flagrant falsehood. The Ministry of Information is the propaganda arm of the military junta. It is controlled by Minister Maung Maung Ohn, who is sanctioned by the E.U. and Canada, and ultimately answers to the U.S.-sanctioned leaders of the coup, Min Aung Hlaing and Soe Win.
The entire regime is a sanctioned entity. By making this false claim in a legal document, they have opened themselves up to investigation and prosecution in the U.S. This is a critical error that the resistance can and will exploit.[1]
How we fight back: Truth is our weapon
The junta’s expensive gamble is destined to fail, but we must be proactive. Here is what we, the people of Myanmar and our supporters abroad, can do:
- Expose the lie: Share this information. Make sure everyone knows the junta is spending millions to deceive the world while our country starves. The truth is our most powerful weapon against their propaganda.
- Amplify diaspora voices: Our brothers and sisters in the U.S. are already taking action. They are using these flawed documents to file complaints with the Department of Justice and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), demanding investigations into DCI Group’s activities.
- Reject their propaganda: Be vigilant. When you see news or social media posts that suddenly paint the junta in a positive light, know its origin. It is bought-and-paid-for propaganda from DCI Group, designed to manipulate you and the world. Counter it with facts and personal stories of the regime’s brutality.
- Unite behind the NUG: Now more than ever, we must show the world that the National Unity Government (NUG) is the one true, legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar. The junta has to buy lobbyists; the NUG has the people.
The junta’s hiring of DCI Group is not a sign of strength; it is a sign of profound weakness. They know they have lost the support of the people, so they are trying to buy the support of foreign politicians.
But legitimacy cannot be bought, and the will of a united people cannot be silenced by a PR campaign. They have wasted $3 million USD, for the truth will always prevail.
James Shwe is a Myanmar democracy activist in the U.S. and is a member of the advocacy groups Free Myanmar and the Los Angeles Myanmar Movement. He has been trying to organize and motivate the Myanmar diaspora to advocate for democracy in Myanmar.
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