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Hate Speech Targets and Usages
In this month’s (the month of December 2024) monitoring, hate speech targeted the most was PDF and the second most was Muslim community and the third was women. Moreover, hate speeches targeting Arakan Army, Rakhine people and Chin people were found as well. Hate speech targeted to the Rohingya community in Rakhine State were also recorded along with AA.
In addition, the most used terms of hate speeches for this month are dog, terrorists, Muslim terrorists, Kalar (a derogatory term referring to Muslim), evil and non-pork eaters.
Hate Speech targeted to the Rohingya community
During the intense fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the junta in Rakhine State, the Rohingya are often considered a common target of ethnic, religious, military, and political hostility. The spread of hate speech against the Rohingya, particularly those who were forcibly recruited by the military, has increased since the AA took control of almost all parts of Rakhine State.
The Rohingya in Rakhine State can be divided into two groups: those living in areas controlled by the AA and those living in areas controlled by the Myanmar military. They face significant pressure from hate speech as they are caught between both the AA and the junta. The Irrawaddy News Agency has accused and spread hate speech against Rohingya who were forcibly recruited by the military, labeling them as “Muslim Pyusawhtee,” which translates to “Muslim Militant.” This is misleading, as these individuals were compelled to serve in the military against their will. The term “Pyusawhtee” is commonly used to refer to the military's puppets; thus, applying the same term to the Rohingya community fosters a misunderstanding that they are aligned with or complicit in the military's actions. The use of this term against the Rohingya can foster animosity not only among ethnic minorities but also among the ethnic majority towards the Rohingya community.
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As the year 2024 winded down, the junta, under the leadership of its most destructive leader Min Aung Hlaing, faced the most humiliating defeats in its 83 years of existence.
The junta has lost two of its military headquarters and the entire Northern Shan State as well as its Western military headquarters and almost all townships in Rakhine. Also, the entire Chin states, on the Indian border to the hands of ethnic resistance groups.
Added to the junta’s woe is an arrest warrant issued against Min Aung Hlaing by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last November after the court found the junta head bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh.
In several instances during the year, many of the junta’s top senior military officers up to the rank of general were captured by the ethnic groups and they were paraded in front of the media. Despite these humiliations for the Myanmar military, Min Aung Hlaing survived yet another year as the head of the regime and the Myanmar military. It tends to indicate that the junta is likely to be untied until its last day and likely to crumble if its leader flees the country like in a recent incident in Syria.
Even though the junta’s defeat is welcomed across the country, however, human suffering associated with the conflict is immense, according to some estimates more than 3 million civilians are displaced due to the conflict and nearly 15 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Naturally, the events that unfolded in Myanmar are shocking for the international community, especially for its neighbours China, India, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
- Hits: 707
A total of 87 hate speech cases were found during BHRN’s monitoring process this month. Facebook and TikTok accounts were not consistently used but temporarily and moved to other accounts and some moved to Telegram channels. The military mainly used Telegram channels and TikTok accounts to spread hate speeches.
Hate Speech Targets and Usages
In this month’s (the month of November) monitoring, hate speech targeted the most was PDFs and the second most was Arakan Army (AA) and the third was NUG. Moreover, hate speeches targeting the Rohingya ethnicity and Muslim community were found as well.
In addition, the most used terms of hate speeches for this month are "dog, terrorists, Bengali, Kalar (a derogatory term referring to Muslims), and evil.
Hate Speech Targeting the Muslim Community.
The Rohingya community in Germany was collecting donations for the Rohingya community of Myanmar. A Facebook account named Ko Than Win posted by referring to that news, that “the collection of money by the Rohingya community will not be for the local Rohingya in Myanmar but these funds will go to the Islamic Extremist Armed Groups. Even though the international community has been supporting the Rohingya since 2012, those funds went to Muslim armed groups only. There is no effective change on the ground by those fundings. This is a very dangerous issue”. In that post, Muslims were mentioned as terrorist criminals. That post used Criminalizing Hate Speech. Original Post (See the translation of the attached link below conclusion - 1)
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1 November- More than 700 homes as well as a school and two monasteries were destroyed in raids by the junta troops on two villages in Kanbalu Township in Sagaing Region on 30 October a spokesperson of a group called itself Kyun Hla-Kanbalu activist group. The junta troops along with its affiliated group Pyu Saw Htee, were involved in the attack on Kyi Su and Kyauktaing villages, the source said. He said at least 400 homes as well as two monasteries were burned down in the attack on Kyi Su village and another 300 houses and a school were destroyed in the raid on Kyauktaing village. – BHRN
1 November- A church was damaged in a drone attack by the junta troops in a village in Khin U Township in Sagaing Region, a local resistance group People's Defence Comrade said. It said the incident of the attack on the Church in Sanpya village took place on October 30, causing damage to the exterior of the bell tower and the roof of the church. The source said the attack followed a raid on the village by a group of 100 junta soldiers. He said the junta forces attacked the village with the help of local militant groups led by a monk, Wathawa. BHRN
3 November- The junta troops aided by a local militant group destroyed a mosque in a raid on a village in Kanbalu Township on 30 October, a local source told Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN). It said a group of 160 junta soldiers supported by the members of a militant group Pyu Saw Htee, raided Kyi Su and Kyauktaing villages using the drones. In the attack, a mosque in Kyi Su village was destroyed. The source said the mosque is a place of worship for Muslims and the attack created anger among the local communities. This is the third time Kyi Su village, which has a majority Muslim population, come under attack by the junta troops during the past two years. Also, Kyauktaing village came under attack twice during the same period. BHRN
- Hits: 857
A total of 103 hate speech cases were found during BHRN’s monitoring process this month. Facebook and TikTok accounts were not consistently used but temporarily and moved to other accounts and some moved to Telegram channels. The military mainly used Telegram channels and TikTok accounts to spread hate speeches and the hate speeches were done through the cartoons as well.
Hate Speech Targets and Usages
In this month’s (the month of October) monitoring, the hate speech targeted the most was PDF and the second most was the Arakan Army (AA) and the third was the Muslim community. Moreover, hate speeches targeting NUG, Rohingya ethnicity and the Muslim community were found as well. In addition, the most used terms of hate speeches for this month are "dog, terrorists, illegal immigrant Bengali, Kalar (a derogatory term referring to Muslims), and evil. Hate Speeches Targeting Arakan Army
A pro-military channel posted a cartoon drawn by MaGa. The cartoon’s message is that AA is genociding the Rohingya community and they are trying to hide it to the Muslim leaders. In that cartoon, AA leader Tun Mrat Naing was referred to as the Drug King and Rohingyas were referred to as Bengali. The cartoon used Criminalizing Hate Speech against AA and Rohingya.
Original Post Attach link file Translation (1)
A pro-military telegram channel named Min Chit Oo posted that the Arakan Army was defeated by the Myanmar military and then ran away after the clash happened between the military and the Arakan Army while the Arakan Army was heading to takeover Kalarpyin village located 7 miles away from Kyitenali township on October 1st. In that post, Arakan Army members were referred to as dogs. That post used Dehumanizing Hate Speech. Original Post Attach link file Translation (2)