In November, disinformation spread in Lithuania, especially about the artificial crisis caused by the Belarussian regime on the border between the two countries, and a sharp increase in negative communication from China, analysts of the Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces concluded.
During the last month, 487 individual cases with negative information dissemination features were recorded – more than in September and October, when 405 and 430 such cases were registered, respectively.
The issue of illegal migration alone has been updated in almost 200 cases, especially since November 8, when massive attempts by Belarusians to violently break into Polish territory began, followed by Lithuania’s decision to declare an intensified state of emergency along the Belarusian border.
Sources of negative information have accused the European Union (EU) and NATO countries that the migration crisis has been provoked by their long-standing policy towards the Middle East and North Africa. It is untrue that Poland has used “fascist methods” against illegal migrants and played “the traditional role of professional provocateur and instigator”.
Attempts have been made to draw parallels between the crisis of illegal migrants and the military conflict, escalating the message that Lithuania is being militarized under the guise of crisis and that illegal migration can be used as a pretext for a more radical confrontation in Eastern Europe.
The message of alleged cruelty to illegal migrants has also been actively escalated since 22 November. It is alleged that migrants at the border between Belarus and Poland have become hostages to a situation caused by the West, and that the West has forgotten its own declared human rights in this situation.
There is a deliberate misconception about Belarus as a country taking concrete steps to help migrants, and at the same time it is alleged that Lithuanian, Latvian and Polish border guards are secretly recruiting terror against illegal migrants – they are beaten, money and documents are confiscated after crossing the border. , but then they are pushed into the territory of Belarus.
Statements have been made by the Belarusian authorities that migrant bodies have been found at the border, allegedly transferred from Lithuanian territory.
November also saw a sharp increase in negative communication from China, largely due to a visit by a delegation of Taiwanese businessmen to Lithuania at the end of October, a subsequent opening of a Taiwanese delegation to Lithuania and a delegation from Taiwan to meet with Taiwanese President Cai Inve.
The Chinese regime’s communication has been dominated by statements accusing Lithuania of violating the “one China principle”, describing it as an unreliable partner threatening China’s sovereignty and international recognition, and claiming that it is dependent on the United States for its foreign policy.
China has also actively used the hybrid attacks on Lithuania by Belarus and the false claims made by the Minsk regime that Lithuania is a country that violates human rights and international law and uses violence against women and children.
Traditionally hostile sources of information in November also developed a message about NATO as part of the migration crisis, falsely claiming that the “Western-induced migration crisis” had created a difficult military-political situation, necessitating a change in Belarusian army’s military preparedness plans for this year and next. is forced to react to the intensification of military activity at its borders.
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