narratives, and information about the Rohingya people, and whip-up and cement hateful attitudes that drove the spread and depth of anti-Rohingya opinion.” “The Claimants accept that the violence which they and/or their relatives suffered was physically inflicted upon them by third parties. However, it is the Claimants’ position that Facebook created the conditions for widespread violence in Myanmar through its actions… and in the absence of Facebook’s breaches of its duty of care, the Claimants would not have experienced the loss and suffering that they in fact did.” Unspeakable atrocities (the UN described the violence as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing") have been inflicted on the Rohingya people in Myanmar, at the hands of both the military and civilians. In 2017 alone, more than 10,000 people were killed and over 150,000 were subject to physical violence. The Rohingya people continue to suffer serious psychological trauma and displacement, as almost the entire population were forced to flee Myanmar. Approximately one million survivors now reside in temporary refugee camps in Bangladesh. Facebook – a group described in the 2018 UN report as having "an extraordinary and outsized role" in the country – has admitted that it did not do enough to stop its platform from being used to create division and incite real world violence. Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in his Senate testimony that "we need to do more"; Adam Mosseri, a vice president of product management at Facebook stated that "we lose some sleep over this"; and a former member of Facebook’s Integrity team recently acknowledged that "I, working for Facebook, had been a party to genocide". Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, commented: "For people in Burma at that time, Facebook was the internet - it was the dominant internet site and app. Facebook ignored public appeals and even their own reporting mechanisms, and refused to stop the military and others using its platform to spread the lies, hatred, prejudice and incitement used to enable and build support for genocide against the Rohingya.” Jason McCue, Senior Partner of McCue Jury & Partners, lawyers for the Claimants, commented: “Today is a significant step along the path of justice for the Rohingya. Their plight must not be forgotten, and those that played a part in their unfolding tragedy must be held to account. This action does just that. It provides the only opportunity for the victims of this genocide to obtain ‘reparations’ to enable them and their next generation to rebuild their lives.” James Libson, Managing Partner of Mishcon de Reya LLP, also lawyers for the Claimants, commented: “It is regrettable that the failure of Facebook to take responsibility for its actions and for governments properly to regulate social media companies means that the only route for the Rohingya community to receive justice is through litigation. Justice may have been delayed but it will not be denied and we are confident that the English courts will seize this historic opportunity to address one of the most egregious human rights abuses of our generation.” The claimants in the UK claim are being represented by McCue Jury & Partners LLP (led by Senior Partner Jason McCue) and Mishcon de Reya LLP (led by Managing Partner James Libson). The barrister team is being led by Richard Hermer QC and Danny Friedman QC of Matrix Chambers, and also includes Ben Silverstone (Matrix Chambers), Andrew Scott (Blackstone Chambers), Kate Boakes (12 Kings Bench Walk), Emma Mockford (Brick Court Chambers), and Nina Tavakoli (Red Lion Chambers). If you have any enquiries about this case, including if you are a Rohingya survivor and would like to know how to join and support these claims, please contact: info@rohingyafacebookclaim.com and visit: www.rohingyafacebookclaim.com.