‘Facebook failed to stop hatred against Rohingya Muslims’

The whole world has seen what kind of atrocities have been and are being committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. A large number of Rohingya Muslims have had to take refuge in Bangladesh. Now a report says that social media platform Facebook has failed to detect inflammatory speeches inciting violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority. Such behavior played a decisive role in the ‘genocide’ against them.

A report shared with a news agency states that a group named Global Witness submitted 8 paid ads to Facebook for approval. Each of these included versions of hate speech against the Rohingya. Facebook had given approval to publish all 8 advertisements. Although the group pulled the ads before they were posted or paid for, it shows that despite its promises, Facebook is failing to address hate speech and calls for violence on its platform.

Following the attack by the Rohingya insurgent group, the Myanmar army launched a clearance operation in Rakhine state of western Myanmar in 2017. After this, more than 7 lakh Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. Under this campaign, security forces were accused of mass rape, murders and setting fire to thousands of houses.

On February 1 last year, the Myanmar army forcibly occupied the country. There democratically elected leaders were put in jail. This occupation has been condemned by those Rohingya Muslims who have taken refuge in Bangladesh. People say that they are afraid to return to Myanmar.

Experts say such ads have been appearing and despite promises to do better and assurances that it will take seriously its role in the Rohingya genocide, Facebook has still not been able to take concrete steps. It should ensure that such advertisements are not placed on platforms like Facebook, which use abusive language calling for the killing of Rohingya Muslims.