Russian Uses “Memory Diplomacy,” to Create False History
Fake Memories Mix with Real Events: Russia’s Selective Retelling in Asia
Russia has sometimes engaged in full-blown manufacturing of history to strengthen its Asian ties, according to a recent South China Morning Post (SCMP) article. It uses both real and imagined historical narratives to bolster its presence in Southeast Asia, employing a strategy termed “memory diplomacy.”This approach is crucial for Russia’s efforts to maintain and expand its influence in a region where its economic and military presence is minimal.
The SCMP story highlights a controversial aspect of Russia’s strategy: the use of fabricated historical events. Recently it commemorated the “Allies of Myanmar Warriors” in Moscow’s Patriot Park, falsely portraying a shared history in World War II between Burma and the Soviet Union.
Russian officials claimed a joint effort to defeat fascism, despite historical records showing no such military collaboration. This deliberate creation or distortion of historical events is another chapter in Russia’s long-term practice of rewriting history to serve its objectives.
In an ironic twist, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated at the statue’s unveiling ceremony that it was important to “preserve and protect the truth of genuine history” — asserting that Burma and the Soviet Union had worked together.
Last year, a statue dedicated to Soviet pilots killed training Laotian pilots in the 1970s was unveiled in Vientiane. Russia’s ambassador to Laos declared “the memory of the feat of the Soviet pilots will remain in the memory of the peoples of both countries.”
In some cases, Russia’s memory diplomacy does have genuine history in its favor. The Soviet Union provided substantial military and economic aid to countries like Vietnam. These historical ties are often invoked by Southeast Asian leaders, acknowledging the significant role the Soviet Union played in their national histories. This aspect of memory continues to resonate strongly in countries that received Soviet support, the paper noted.
A Tenuous Future in Southeast Asia
Despite these efforts, the article points out Russia’s increasingly precarious position in Southeast Asia. Its economic footprint in the region is minimal, with dim prospects for growth, further hindered by its actions in Ukraine and global shifts towards carbon neutrality.
Memory diplomacy, blending truth with fiction, becomes a tool to maintain relevance in a region where traditional levers of influence — economic and military might — are diminishing.
Implications of Selective Memory
The use of real and imagined history by a global power like Russia raises important questions, especially as we enter a world where Large Language Models (LLMs) could potentially flood the world with misinformation. Even without the use of such AI tools, this strategy foretells a world where discerning truth may become increasingly challenging.
