5/27/22, 7:52 PM Sticking it to hate speech with ‘flowers’ | The Myanmar Times MIDO executive director Nay Phone Latt speaks next to a Panzagar Facebook sticker. (Aung Kyaw Nyunt/The Myanmar Times) Sticking it to hate speech with ‘flowers’ A prominent local campaign combating hate speech has unveiled shareable Facebook stickers for the Myanmar market encouraging users not to “start fires” and to think before sharing. The illustrated character stickers, which made their debut February 17, represent the latest manoeuvre from the “Panzagar” campaign in its offline and online struggle to stem the tide of hate speech in Myanmar. They are also Myanmar’s first on Facebook, according to Myanmar ICT for Development Organisation (MIDO) executive director Ko Nay Phone Latt, who founded the campaign. Facebook, as a tool, can be used toward good or evil ends – while some might exploit the platform to spread hate and dangerous speech, the Facebook-born Panzagar campaign uses it to promote conscientiousness. The movement, called “Flower Speech” in English, started last year with a Facebook page and some drawings in response to hate and dangerous speech that threatened to lead to offline violence, said MIDO program manager Ma Htaike Htaike Aung. The organisation, attuned to ICT, took particular notice of this speech on Facebook. The group called for partners through its page, and in response Panzagar became a grassroots movement, Ma Htaike Htaike Aung continued. Prior to the stickers, Panzagar and Facebook had been planning to join forces to fight hate and dangerous speech on the internet. “We believe in freedom of expression as well as internet freedoms, so we don’t want the online platform to be seen as a negative space,” Ma Htaike Htaike Aung said. The organisations had been putting their heads together over Facebook’s reporting mechanism, which has been decried by some as ineffective but presents particular challenges in Myanmar due in part to language constraints, according to Ma Htaike Htaike Aung. https://www.mmtimes.com/business/technology/13308-sticking-it-to-hate-speech-with-flowers.html 2/5