5/22/22, 8:16 PM Is Facebook responsible for Myanmar’s anti-Rohingya violence? | Coconuts An October 24 Facebook post by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing claims Myanmar’s Rohingya population is made up of “Bengalis” whose “population growth and their attempts to grab land by driving out the natives…from the region through violent attacks has led to the eruption of Rakhine-Bengali conflicts.” The post is still up. Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin offered another distinction. “Violence against Rohingya is national policy in Myanmar, so I don’t want to blame Facebook,” he said. “But Facebook is responsible for allowing the spread of hatred against the Rohingya community. They never take down any hateful posts by Burmese Buddhists, even though many users report them. Facebook removed many posts advocating for peace and news updates on what’s actually happening on the ground. “In my opinion, Facebook doesn’t have a policy to side with anti-Rohingya users, but the team responsible for Myanmar is completely biased and against the Rohingya community. Facebook headquarters should conduct proper investigation.” Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith echoed this distinction: “We’ve documented a coordinated, systematic Myanmar Army-led attacks on Rohingya civilians. We wouldn’t say Facebook bears direct responsibility for that, or even for the behavior of civilian perpetrators in Rakhine who participated in massacres in recent weeks. “But the company has a role to play. The views of people throughout the country have been shaped by what they’ve seen and read on Facebook, and there’s a lot of misinformation. Even government departments and officials have used Facebook to stir anti-Rohingya sentiment rather than instill calm. Hate speech thrives on Facebook throughout the country, and that shapes some people’s views in very ugly ways. Incitement is a crime, and Facebook has arguably been a platform for it.” He added: “Anti-Rohingya sentiment, fear-inspiring rumors about Muslims, and other misinformation spreads on Facebook as fast as fires in Rakhine. Facebook alone can’t prevent that, but the company certainly has responsibilities in the Myanmar context.” https://coconuts.co/yangon/features/facebook-responsible-myanmars-violence-against-rohingya/ 4/11