As the conflict between the military and various armed groups continues to roil Buddhist-majority Myanmar, a video of pro-democracy fighters has been shared, alongside a false claim that they have arrived at a sacred place of worship called the Golden Rock Pagoda. But visual clues show that the pagoda is just a replica found in the country’s central Magway region and not the original in eastern Mon state.
“Arriving at the mountain of Golden Rock Pagoda,” reads the Burmese caption of a Facebook post shared on November 12.
The post includes a video of soldiers wearing insignia bearing the logo of the “People’s Defense Forces”, units made up of former students, farmers and workers who left their lives behind to take up arms and resist the coup of the junta (archived links here and here).
The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, or Golden Rock Pagoda, is one of Myanmar’s most famous Buddhist monuments.
Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the pagoda at the top of Mount Kyaiktiyo, culminating during Buddhist Lent to Vesak Day from October to May the following year (archived link).
The video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times and shared more than 4,000 times.