A/HRC/39/CRP.2 fostered them. This has contributed to and exacerbated a climate in which hate speech thrives and in which individuals and groups may be more receptive to calls of incitement to violence. 1328. The Mission found many deeply problematic public statements from a wide variety of government officials or representatives, including its military and security forces and politicians, and equally problematic statements made in official governmental or military settings. These are indicative of their own deep-rooted discriminatory sentiments towards Muslims, and Rohingya in particular. Below are a few of these statements: • Bengali do not have any characteristics or culture in common with the ethnicities of Myanmar. The tensions (in Rakhine State) were fuelled because the Bengali demanded citizenship. [Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw, on 19 March 2018]2930 • We received news that the Rohingya terrorists, under the name “Rohingya Solidarity Organization” (RSO), are crossing the border with weapons. This is Rohingya infiltration from abroad. Because our troops have received the news in advance, we are going to eradicate2931 them [the Rohingya], until the job is done. I assume that the troops are already eradicating [the Rohingya]. Regarding this issue, we don't want to hear any humanitarian or human rights excuses. We don't want to hear your moral superiority, or so-called peace and loving kindness. (Go and look at Buthidaung, Maungdaw areas in Rakhine State. Our ethnic people are in constant fear in their own land. I feel very bitter about this. This is our country. This is our land.) (I'm talking to you, national parties, MPs, Civil Societies, who are always opposing the president and the government.) [Zaw Htay, then attached to President Thein Sein’s Office, currently Director General in the Office of the State Counsellor and Spokesperson of the Office of the President, on 1 June 2012]2932 • There were about five hundred thousand non-religious and evil soldiers, who died in the war. Because of that, the King was not able to sleep at night, since, in Buddhism, killing humans is one of the worst sins. The eight monks who knew about this, told the King “Don’t worry, your Highness. Not a single one of those you killed was Buddhist. They didn’t follow the Buddhist teachings and therefore they did not know what was good or bad. Not knowing good or bad is the nature of animals. Out of over five hundred thousand you killed, only one and a half were worth to be humans. Therefore it is a small sin and does not deserve your worry. [Sitagu Sayadaw, one of Myanmar's most revered monks, on 30 October 2017, at the Bayintnaung military garrison and military training school in Thandaung, Karen State] 2933 • I won’t say much, I will make it short and direct. Number one, shoot and kill them! (the Rohingya). Number two, kill and shoot them! (the Rohingya). Number three, shoot and bury them! (the Rohingya). Number four, bury and shoot them! (the Rohingya). If we do not kill, shoot, and bury them, they will keep sneaking into our 2930 2931 2932 2933 332 The statement in English posted on Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing’s website and Facebook has since been deleted, following the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ public condemnation of the remark on 26 March 2018 (see https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sgsm18957.doc.htm). The article in Myanmar language remained available on this personal website (https://www.seniorgeneralminaunghlaign.com.mm), last accessed by the Mission in July 2018. The Myanmar word “Chay Mhone” meaning “completely destroy” is usually used in the context of fighting an enemy. To replicate the strong tone used in the passage, the word is translated here as “eradicate”. Online on Facebook, under the account Hmuu Zaw; V-045. He recounted a passage from the 5th century Buddhist chronicle Mahavamsa, in which eight monks visited King Dutthagamani, who was suffering from deep remorse after having led a war in which many people were killed. The sermon was given to a military audience and live-streamed on Facebook on 30 October 2017, soon after the “clearance operations” began: https://www.facebook.com/sitagulivedhamma/videos/705111109681007/.