FACT CHECK: Viral Images Of Ukrainians Holding Signs In Support Of Myanmar Are Altered

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims to show Ukrainians holding signs in support of Myanmar.

Verdict: False

The images have been digitally altered. None of the original images show Ukrainians rallying in support of Myanamar.

Fact Check:

Myanmar’s military junta, which took power in a coup last year, expressed support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Voice of America. Most nations have condemned the Russian invasion, including 143 countries that voted in favor of a U.N. resolution chastising Russia for the move, Reuters reported.

The Facebook post shows three images, each allegedly showing Ukrainians holding signs in support of Myanmar. One photo featured in the post shows a flag, resembling the flag of Myanmar, crudely drawn onto a cardboard cutout. The other two show people holding cardboard signs, including one that reads, “We pray again for Myanmar, which has supported Ukraine,” and another that reads, “Save Ukraine Save Myanmar.”

“Many thanks to Ukraine for raising concerns for Myanmar,” reads the post’s caption, in part. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Russian Fighter Jet Being Shot Down In Ukraine?)

All three images are digitally altered. The photo with the sign reading “We pray again for Myanmar, which has supported Ukraine” is an altered version of a photo from a rally in Kyiv Feb. 12. The original image was published by the United Press International and shows the sign actually read “No Putin No Cry.”

The second image, which shows a Ukrainian woman holding a sign with a crudely-drawn flag, was from the same protest. The original photo can be found on Reuters Pictures and shows a sign that reads “#StandWithUkraine” and includes a small Ukrainian flag drawn in the upper right-hand corner.

The third photo in the post, featuring the “Save Ukraine Save Myanmar” sign, is originally from a November 2021 anti-COVID restriction protest in Kyiv, according to the image’s description on the Associated Press website. The sign in the unedited photo features the word “ANTI VAX” and includes a picture of a syringe with a Jewish star near the tip.

“A demonstrator holds an anti-vax sign with anti-Semitic imagery during a protest against COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021,” reads the image’s description.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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