50 Hate Speech Ignited: Understanding Hate Speech in Myanmar Interviewees for this report also noted that HRDs and activists publicly critical of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD, and the military have been labeled as foreign-trained traitors.265 A common narrative has been that they are “liars” exaggerating human rights violations, who are working not of their own ac- cord but at the behest of biased international organizations and funders sponsoring their work.266 HRDs and activists said that in addition to the online and offline threats and harassment, they have been routinely insulted by ultranationalists with the question, “how much are you getting paid to say that?”: As an organization countering hate speech, we were accused of being “dollar zah,” which means dollar earners, by nationalists. Nationalists like to use the word “dollar zah” against NGOs and CSOs as an attack.267 Figure 12. A Facebook post singling out a local media fixer for assisting international journalists. The post states, “I am sure you all remember this ‘Mus’ . . . he was arrested for trying to release a drone over Parliament. Now he’s free. Sponsored dollar zahs and journalist traitors are working together and actively mobilizing to bring destruction to our country. We must all band together and fight them.” It is worth noting that the mobilizing that is being described here is a peace protest in Tarmwe calling for an end to the Tatmadaw’s armed conflicts in Myanmar. 265 266 267 FGD (January 2019 and December 2019); YGN-R3-01, 4; YGN-R4-04, 4-6. FGD (January 2019). YGN-R4-04, 4.

Select target paragraph3