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Before proceeding it would be beneficial to address the very term ‘hate speech’. Waldron argues that the use of the word ‘hate’ can be misleading, and that it characterizes the problem as an attitudinal one. It would therefore suggest that the purpose of preventing hate speech is to punish people’s attitudes and control their thoughts.3 However, it is the effects of hate speech that define it, not just the motivations. To define it more accurately, this study understands hate speech as speech written or spoken that is likely to stir up disrespect, vilification and hatred against members of minority groups. Methods of Field Research Research proposal This study is a result of a research project carried out in Myanmar for the Smile Education and Development Foundation. The first step of this project was to write a proposal to clarify the objectives of the project and establish terms of reference with the organisation. As LeCompte and Schensul note a good research proposal is essential, particularly if the researcher is conducting research for or with an organisation. They add that planning with an organisation requires coming together to share ideas, responsibilities and agreements regarding how to proceed.4 Therefore, multiple Skype meetings in the months leading up to the field research between myself, Smile, and my dissertation supervisor were carried out for these reasons. Decisions were made such as: what the core research questions are; what a reasonable timeframe would be for the project; and which methodological approaches would be best suited to the project and the means available. Establishing a research proposal included a process of narrowing down my original idea of studying religious tensions in Myanmar, to researching the dangers of online hate speech for the youth of Myanmar. One key component that should be included in peacebuilding initiatives is the involvement of young people. Though often ignored 3 Waldron, J., (2012) The Harm in Hate Speech, Harvard University Press, p.34. 4 LeCompte, M., & Schensul, J., (2010) Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research, Rowman Altamira, p.88. -7-

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Religion, hate speech and social media in Myanmar: Analysing methods of intervention

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Language

English

Topic

Hate Speech
Rohingya Crisis

Author(s)

Bethany Davis

Date Published: Dec 1, 2015

Abstract: Myanmar is home to one of the longest running intrastate conflicts in the world, involving a series of ethnic and religious clashes that have caused harm to all parties involved. The ideology of a homogeneity based on Buddhism and the Bamar ethnicity has marginalized minority groups, which make up a third of the population, and has particularly affected the Rakhine state’s Buddhist and Muslim communities, the latter of which are subject to what international human rights organizations are calling an ethnic cleansing. Since the government relaxed restrictions to the access of foreign websites, the social media site Facebook has become a popular means to disseminate misinformation and rumours, and this has created mistrust and hatred against Muslims across the country, heightening the polarization between Buddhist and Muslim groups. This study will combine conflict analysis with the assessment of different approaches of countering hate speech to propose which methods of intervention are most suitable for this situation in Myanmar. Lederach argues that to counter hatred and avoid reoccurrence of violence, deep alterations of the parties’ relationships is needed. This idea forms the basis for chapter three which examines educational methods, interfaith projects and social media campaigns to both prevent and change negative attitudes towards the religious ‘Other’. It argues that education and awareness campaigns are more effective than the implementation of legal regulation as we need to combat the underlying issue. In addition to secondary sources, this study involved field research to collect information about how the youth are influence by hate speech and counter hate campaigns in Myanmar.

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Religion, hate speech and social media in Myanmar: Analysing methods of intervention

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