Executive Summary „ Regulate corporations that may be contributing to hate speech or its dissemination; „ Promote and resource policy initiatives consistent with human rights frameworks, such as the Rabat Plan of Action to combat hate speech, including education, intracultural dialogue, condemnation of incidents of hate, and creating a healthy media environment; „ Cooperate with various international accountability mechanisms; and „ Protect ethnic and religious minority civilians and end grave human rights violations and atrocities. Law Reform „ Amend or repeal laws that restrict freedom of expression to be consistent with human rights standards, including but not limited to the Telecommunications Law, the News Media Law, the Printing and Publication Law, the Electronic Transactions Law, the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens, the Official Secrets Act, and the Penal Code—especially: z Sections 66(d) and 68(a) of the Telecommunications Law; z Sections 19 and 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law; z Articles 124(a), 295(a), 499, 500, and 505(b) of the Penal Code; z Section 33 and 34(d) of the Electronic Transactions Law; „ Enact anti-discrimination laws to protect and promote the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities; „ Consult with civil society in re-drafting the Bill for Protection Against Hate Speech to ensure the resulting law is transparent, meets international legal standards and definition of hate speech as a component of a broader anti-discrimination legal framework; and „ Ensure that any judicial or quasi-judicial determination regarding restrictions on freedom of speech is made by an independent adjudicator; if this requires inviting international experts to assist with determinations given the deficiencies with the rule of law in Myanmar, the government should request assistance from the international community to help with such matters. Counter Hate Speech in the Lead Up to the 2020 Elections „ Ensure that the Union Election Commission prohibits all political parties from spreading hate speech and misinformation both online and offline; „ Enact a zero-tolerance policy for campaign content (including but not limited to: speeches, slogans, statements, and pamphlets) that are discriminatory and could incite violence; and „ Monitor hate speech and set up an early warning system for potential election violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities. 7