Just a day after the earthquake that struck Myanmar last week, three images of Buddhist monks and ordinary individuals lying in rows on the floor were widely shared on social media, claiming they were victims of the disaster. This claim received significant engagement from users who expressed sympathy for the supposed victims. However, a reverse image search revealed that the claim is false.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
Images of individuals, including Buddhist monks lying in rows on the floor, have been widely shared across social media platforms. These images are being circulated with claims that they depict victims of last week’s devastating earthquake in Myanmar.
Below is a screenshot of a claim written in Khmer and shared on Facebook on March 29, 2025, just one day after the earthquake in Myanmar. The post garnered over 100 shares, along with numerous reactions and comments from Khmer-speaking social media users.
The post reads: “Share condolence! Over 80 Burmese Buddhist monks lost their lives in the earthquake.”
As the claim gains viral attention, identical or similar posts in Khmer can be found on Facebook via other links: Link 1 (archived), Link 2 (archived), Link 3 (archived), Link 4 (archived), and Link 5 (archived).
Additionally, this claim has been widely disseminated in other regional languages and English, garnering considerable attention and engagement across multiple social media platforms.
Below is a screenshot of the claim written in English and circulated on Facebook a day after the earthquake in Myanmar. The post implies the images are of victims of the recent earthquake in Myanmar.
The post garnered over 200 shares, along with numerous reactions and comments from social media users who expressed their sympathies for the victims in the country.
The post caption reads: “The death toll from a devastating earthquake in Myanmar has risen to 1,002 dead, with nearly 2,376 injured. Your prayer and sharing merit can help Myanmar to overcome to Normal situation. May Guardian Devas help and protect Myanmar.”
Below is a screenshot of the claim written in Sinhala, dated March 29, 2025, suggesting that the images depict victims of Myanmar’s recent earthquake.
Below is a screenshot of the World Buddhist Association in Bangladesh (WBA) expressing condolences in the Bengali language to Myanmar, particularly to the Buddhist monks in the country. The post includes images depicting monks lying in rows on the floor.
The images, along with similar claims, were also widely shared on other social media platforms, including Meta’s newly launched Threads, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
Below is a screenshot of a claim written in Thai, shared on Threads on March 29, 2025. The post implies that the monks shown in the images were victims of Myanmar’s recent earthquake.
Below is a screenshot of the claim shared on Instagram a day ago, saying Buddhist monks were killed in the recent earthquake in Myanmar.
Instagram Post | Archived Link
Below is a screenshot of a claim shared on X, written in Hindi. The translation suggests that Buddhist monks in Myanmar were killed in the recent earthquake.
As the claim continues to go viral, it has been widely circulated in both regional languages and English across various social media platforms. Similar claims with identical meanings and implications can also be found through multiple links: Link 1 (archived), Link 2 (archived), Link 3 (archived), and Link 4 (archived).
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo began investigating the claim using Google Reverse Image Search, which helped uncover the following facts.
By employing Google Reverse Image Search, Fact Crescendo successfully traced the origins and context of the widely circulated images.
Our investigation found that the images had been shared on social media at least four years ago, based on a Facebook post from late 2024 indicating that Buddhist monks and regular individuals were engaged in meditation.
The Facebook post mentioned that the images and Burmese caption were shared by a user named Ko Min Myat, who circulated them in early 2021.
Below is a screenshot of a Facebook post from December 31, 2024, three months before the earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025.
The Facebook user credited this statement and photos to Ko Min Myat, who circulated them on January 13, 2021.
Additionally, the images were included in a video uploaded over two years ago on a YouTube channel called Buddha Dhamma. The caption, written in Burmese, describes it as a lying meditation session that lasted three hours.
Below is another video uploaded on YouTube showing another version of the lying meditation practice in Myanmar.
A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand on March 28, 2025, claiming over 2,000 lives, leaving thousands injured, and causing extensive damage to buildings and homes in both countries, according to the BBC’s report as of today.
CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo has determined that the aforementioned claim is false. The images showing Buddhist monks and ordinary individuals lying in rows on the floor are unrelated to the earthquake in Myanmar last week. Instead, the images depict a lying meditation practice carried out by Buddhist monks and civilians in Myanmar over four years ago.
Title:Misleading Claim Portrays Meditating Monks as Earthquake Victims
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: False
