A/HRC/39/CRP.2 5. (a) Spreading hate Inciting anti-Rohingya sentiment 696. The Mission has examined documents, publications, statements, Facebook posts and audio-visual materials that have contributed to shaping public opinion on the Rohingya and Muslims more generally. The analysis demonstrates that a carefully crafted hate campaign has developed a negative perception of Muslims among the broad population in Myanmar. This campaign has been the work of a few key players: nationalistic political parties and politicians, leading monks, academics, prominent individuals and members of the Government. This hate campaign, which continues to the present day, portrays the Rohingya and other Muslims as an existential threat to Myanmar and to Buddhism. 1509 In the case of the Rohingya, it has gone a step further. It is accompanied by dehumanising language and the branding of the entire community as “illegal Bengali immigrants”. This discourse created a conducive environment for the 2012 and 2013 anti-Muslim violence in Rakhine State and beyond, without strong opposition from the general population. It also enabled the hardening of repressive measures against the Rohingya and Kaman in Rakhine State and subsequent waves of State-led violence in 2016 and 2017. 697. Anti-Muslim campaigns are not a recent phenomenon in Myanmar. A book published in the 1980s by an anonymous author, spells out a series of anti-Muslim concepts and admonitions that would resurface and gain traction 20 and 30 years later. Entitled “Fear of extinction of the race”, the book presents Islam as a serious threat to Buddhism and calls on people to “protect their race and religion”. It states that Buddhist women are particularly vulnerable and that children should be taught not to be friendly with people of other religions. The book also calls the readers not to do business with Muslims (referred to by the derogatory term “Kalars”1510) and states that, “it is certain that in 100 years, the glorious Buddhism along with Myanmar ethnic people will disappear completely”. It also calls for a boycott of Muslim shops (“… buying from them is like watering poisonous plants …”) and states: If we are not careful, it is certain that the whole country will be swallowed by the Muslim Kalars (…). When we study world-history, we can see that different races of the world did not get swallowed to extinction by the earth, but only by other humans.1511 698. This book was published close to the adoption of the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law. According to credible reports, it was initially banned by the military Government but was later distributed either in full or in shorter anti-Muslim pamphlets.1512 In 2001, violence broke out in Taungoo (Pegu division), reportedly after the distribution of these pamphlets by the Union Solidarity and Development Association, which later became the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), established in 2010 by former senior military officers. The violence reportedly left around 200 Muslims dead, mosques destroyed and houses burned.1513 The main narrative of the book and the calls for boycotts of Muslim businesses were amplified by the 969 movement in 2012 and later by MaBaTha.1514 More generally, the idea that there is risk for one race to extinguish another can be found in the motto of the Ministry of Immigration and Population, now the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population: The earth will not swallow a race to extinction but another race will. 699. The Ministry has had this motto since its establishment in 1995 but some reports trace it back to the first military dictator, General Ne Win, around 1962. Credible reports indicate 1509 1510 1511 1512 1513 1514 166 See chapter VI, section B.2: Findings on the issue of hate speech. The word “Kalar” is used as a racist slur to insult and highlight someone’s dark skin or foreign ancestry. K-112. Unofficial translation of A Myo Pyaut Mhar Soe Kyaut Sayar K-111. K-111. For a brief description of 969 and MaBaTha, see chapter III, section B.2: Place of Buddhism in society.