Analysis: Current Landscape of Hate Speech in Myanmar This divisive “othering” narrative has posed a significant obstacle to fostering understanding across religious and ethnic groups, particularly between the majority Buddhist-Bamar majority and others. The danger of the ultranationalist movement is that it seeks to continue the Tatmadaw’s policies: institutionalization of Buddhist Bamar hegemony at the expense of ethnic and religious mi- norities’ rights. CSOs mentioned that Myanmar authorities’ reports of crime often list the ethnic and religious identity of perpetrators if they are members of a particular minority group, but the same is not done for alleged Buddhist Bamar perpetrators.192 Figure 10. Myaing Gyi Ngu, Karen State. The signage reads “non-Buddhists Kalar prohibited from entering.” There are now towns and villages which are deemed Buddhist-only zones. Activists noted that while the main target of hate speech has been Muslims and Rohingya, Chris- tians and other non-Bamar ethnic groups have also been targeted especially as the conflict in the north enter its tenth year.193 Some CSOs believe that this new shift is due to ongoing Tatmadaw of- fensives in Kachin, Shan, and Rakhine States. According to them, minority groups are consistently profiled as potential threats and their identity places them on a watch list and under suspicion for betraying and threatening the nation.194 192 193 194 Ibid. See, e.g., YGN-R4-04, 3. Ibid.; see also FGD (January 2019 and December 2019). 41