Objective, Scope, and Methodology society. The groups held a second convening in December 2019 to explore new trends and patterns around hate speech that had emerged during the year. The report’s analysis captures the discussions from the two convenings along with findings from twenty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with activists and HRDs from Myanmar. These interviews took place at the convenings and in the months following them. Given the sensitive nature of this topic, steps have been taken to ensure the confidentiality, se- curity, and anonymity of the interviewees. Interviewers conducted the interviews in secure locations to help ensure the participants felt as comfortable as possible. Data security protocols have also been put in place to help protect information as well as the identities of those who were interviewed. Before every interview, the interviewer explained the objectives of the report, assured anonymity, and obtained verbal consent from the interviewee to participate. Following each interview, the interviewer allocated time to answer any questions and to listen to comments from the interviewee. C. Definition of Hate Speech for the Purposes of This Report There is no agreed upon definition of hate speech under international law.1 The ways in which people experience or encounter hate speech may be expansive and are affected by the context in which they live.2 Hate speech definitions can cover a wide range of speech from incitement to violence and geno- cide to demeaning references, harmful stereotypes, revised historical accounts, and narratives that attack a group or individual’s identity. Contextualizing a definition is thus important. With this in mind, to make the analysis most relevant to Myanmar, this report employs a defi- nition of hate speech generated by the 22 CSOs who participated in the January 2019 convening. The report uses this tailored definition to analyze the narratives, identify key drivers, and document the impact that such speech has had on ethnic and religious minorities, CSOs, HRDs, and civil society space in Myanmar. Based on their diverse experience, expertise, and collective identities, the CSOs generated a contextualized definition of hate speech that encompasses how hate speech in Myanmar occurs and what protected characteristics it targets most frequently. As such, for the purposes of this report, hate speech means: Hate Speech: Violent or dehumanizing speech that calls for exclusion or segregation of, incite- ment to violence against, or discrimination against individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious or political affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, or disability. 1 2 Ibid., para. 1; United Nations, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, A/74/486 (October 9, 2019), para. 1; United Nations, Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech (June 18, 2019), para. 2; United Nations, Promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, A/67/357 (September 2012), para. 44. For a full discussion of hate speech under international law, see infra Part IV. See generally Mary Matsuda, “Public Response to Racist Speech: Considering the Victim’s Story,” Michigan Law Review 87, no. 8 (1989): 2320-81. 13