Hate Speech Ignited Understanding Hate Speech in Myanmar Hate Speech Ignited Understanding Hate Speech in Myanmar October 2020 About Us This report was written based on the information and data collection, monitoring, analytical insights and experiences with hate speech by civil society organizations working to reduce and/or directly af- fected by hate speech. The research for the report was coordinated by Burma Monitor (Research and Monitoring) and Progressive Voice and written with the assistance of the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School while it is co-authored by a total 19 organizations. Jointly published by: 1. Action Committee for Democracy Development 2. Athan (Freedom of Expression Activist Organization) 3. Burma Monitor (Research and Monitoring) 4. Generation Wave 5. International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School 6. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand 7. Karen Human Rights Group 8. Mandalay Community Center 9. Myanmar Cultural Research Society 10. Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State) 11. Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica 12. Olive Organization 13. Pace on Peaceful Pluralism 14. Pon Yate 15. Progressive Voice 16. Reliable Organization 17. Synergy - Social Harmony Organization 18. Ta’ang Women’s Organization 19. Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar (Peace Seekers and Multiculturalist Movement) Contact Information Progressive Voice [email protected] www.progressivevoicemyanmar.org Burma Monitor [email protected] International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School [email protected] https://hrp.law.harvard.edu Acknowledgments Firstly and most importantly, we would like to express our deepest appreciation to the activists, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and commu- nity-based organizations that provided their valuable time, information, data, in- sights, and analysis for this report. This report is made possible with their brave deeply impacts their work and lives. We also thank the International Human Rights contributions and willingness to share their difficult experiences that directly and Clinic at Harvard Law School for their assistance and collaboration in writing this report as well as those who took their time to review and proofread the report. Finally, we would like to express our appreciation to the donors who made the pro- duction of this report possible by providing their generous funding and support. It is hoped that hate speech in Myanmar is tackled in line with the international human rights laws and standards and that a society free of hate, discrimination, and violence lies ahead. Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................1 To the Myanmar Government .......................................................................................................6 End Impunity and Protect Freedom of Expression .........................................................6 Law Reform .......................................................................................................................................7 Counter Hate Speech in the Lead Up to the 2020 Elections ........................................7 To the Myanmar Military ................................................................................................................8 To Civil Society ....................................................................................................................................8 To the International Community ................................................................................................8 To Social Media Platforms, Telecommunication Companies, and Other Businesses Operating in Myanmar .............................................................................................9 OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY .....................................................11 A. Objectives and Scope ........................................................................................................12 B. Methodology .......................................................................................................................12 C. Definition of Hate Speech for the Purposes of This Report .................................13 BACKGROUND: HISTORY OF HATE SPEECH IN MYANMAR .......................15 A. Historical Entrenchment of Division ..........................................................................16 Colonial Legacy ...................................................................................................................................17 Military Rule Post-independence ................................................................................................18 B. Exploiting Race and Religion During Myanmar’s Transition .............................21 The Rise of Social Media Since 2010 and Pathways to Violence ...................................22 C. Current Context: From the 2015 Elections to the Upcoming 2020 Elections ...............................................................................................................................28 Growing Ultranationalist Support for the Tatmadaw ........................................................29 2020 Elections .....................................................................................................................................35 ANALYSIS: CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF HATE SPEECH IN MYANMAR ......37 A. Key Narratives of Hate and Ultranationalism ..........................................................38 Exploiting an Environment of Prejudice and Fear ...............................................................38 Constructed Narratives ...................................................................................................................39 A Buddhist-Burman nation under threat .............................................................................39 The particular threat of Islam ...................................................................................................43 Gendered framing and derogatory attacks .........................................................................46 The necessity of Myanmar’s military strength ..................................................................47 Human rights defenders and journalists in Myanmar as traitors .............................48 Biased international community ............................................................................................52 B. Key Drivers ..........................................................................................................................56 ...............................................................56 Policies that Enable or Facilitate Hate Speech ......................................................................58 Contributors to and Beneficiaries of Hate Speech Poverty ..................................................................................................................................................59 Systematic Discrimination in the Education System .........................................................59 C. Channels and Forms of Dissemination .......................................................................62 Online Channels ..................................................................................................................................62 The role of Facebook in Myanmar ...........................................................................................62 Challenges facing hate speech regulation on Facebook .................................................63 Ineffectiveness of Removal .........................................................................................................63 Technological Discrepancy .........................................................................................................64 Need for Greater Context Sensitivity ....................................................................................64 Increasing use of alternative online channels ....................................................................65 ..................................................................................................................................66 Electronic media—movies and DVDs ....................................................................................66 Offline Channels Print media—books, newspapers, and pamphlets .........................................................67 D. Impact on Ethnic and Religious Minority Communities and Civil Society .....69 Impacted Communities – Distrust and Violence .................................................................69 Hate Speech .........................................................................................................................................72 Closing Civil Society Space – Increasing Difficulties in Combatting A Weaponization of the Law to Suppress Dissent ..........................................................73 Penal Code .........................................................................................................................................74 Telecommunications Law ...........................................................................................................74 Printing and Publishing Law .....................................................................................................75 Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law ............................................................76 .........................................................................................................................76