Analysis: Current Landscape of Hate Speech in Myanmar D. Impact on Ethnic and Religious Minority Communities and Civil Society The impact of hate speech and ultranationalism on minority communities and civil society work and activism within Myanmar has been profound and the cycle of hate and violence has tightened in recent years. Making matters worse, in order to combat hate speech effectively and its cultural under- pinnings, there needs to be open civil society space to promote tolerance and understanding; instead there have been increasing restrictions on freedoms of expression and retaliation against those who speak out against those in power. This section sketches, first, how the hostile environment created by hate speech has sowed dis- trust, violence, and further marginalization of ethnic and religious minority communities. The breakdown in societal tolerance has spiraled in the wrong direction, affecting individuals’ and communi- ties’ psychological well-being and leading to even further physical separation of various groups. The prospects of breaking the vicious cycle are not promising if the current trends and policies continue. Secondly, the section examines the differential treatment of speech by two groups of actors: hate speech by ultranationalists has been permitted, but there has been a corresponding increased crackdown on CSOs and HRDs’ freedom of expression in recent years. Current conditions have cre- ated a dangerous trend: as ultranationalists, supporters of the military, and the civilian government fan the flames of divisions and tensions through hate speech, CSOs and activists attempting to combat hate and discrimination must do so in the face of increased risk of arrests, prosecutions, and attacks on their personal security. This antagonistic and restrictive environment has resulted in a loss of hope and sense of isolation among some activists, both in their work and in the democratic transitional process. These trends pose a chilling effect on legitimate expression in Myanmar and undermine the likelihood that hate speech will be adequately combatted despite its destructive force in society. Impacted Communities – Distrust and Violence At its root, hate foments distrust and violence. One common theme from the discussions at both con- venings, was that hate speech ultimately condones and promotes violence against ethnic and religious minority communities.433 Many stated that fear, be it of “the others,” or loss of one’s ethnic identity and religion, is used to justify violence, attributing it as a necessity in defense of one’s race and religion.434 While the most well-known manifestation has been the violence against the Rohingya, those attacks have not been the only incident stemming from fear and hate. One activist recalled “there were rumors [in Meiktila] when buying foods that people were worried that foods they bought would be poisoned by Muslims. The worst is it affected people’s mental health. They threatened to burn down mosques. Men- tally people didn’t feel safe anymore.”435 Indeed, it is the interplay between the physical violence and the psychological effects of hate speech on both the perpetrators and the affected communities that make it 433 434 435 FGD (January 2019 and December 2019). Ibid. 002-R3-03, 4. 69