Just hours after UN officials called for Myanmar army leaders to be tried for genocide, Facebook blocked the accounts of army chief Min Aung Hlaing and other top brass. The online network wields immense power in Myanmar.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo
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In order to "prevent the spread of hate and misinformation," social media giant Facebook blocked the commander-in-chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Min Aung Hlaing, from using its platform. Dozens of other Facebook accounts and pages, including those belonging to other military officials and the military's Myawady television network, were also been removed on Monday.
"International experts … have found evidence that many of these individuals and organizations committed or enabled serious human rights abuses in the country," Facebook said in an online post. "And we want to prevent them from using our service to further inflame ethnic and religious tensions."
Responding to the ban, government spokesman Zaw Htay said Myanmar was asking Facebook for more information.
"Community standards must be balanced," he told local media. "The government would like to know the exact reason."
Facebook slammed by the UN
Earlier on Monday, a UN panel slammed the Myanmar's army leadership for alleged crimes committed in the country Rakhine state, saying that the soldiers committed mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent." The UN experts said army chief Min Aung Hlaing and five other generals should face trial.
At the same time, the fact-finding mission also called out Facebook, saying it was "a useful instrument for those seeking to spread hate."
Facebook is a key channel of communication in Myanmar, the country still adapting to the rapid spread of smartphones and social media. For most users in the Asian country "Facebook is the Internet," the UN experts said.
They also criticized the platform for being "slow and ineffective" in responding to hate speech.
Toe-to-toe with top leaders
Nearly 12 million people followed the deleted pages and accounts, which also included a profile on Instagram. The picture-sharing platform is also owned by Facebook.
The Monday ban marks the first time the network had blocked a country's military or political leaders, according to Facebook spokeswoman Ruchika Budhraja. She described the move as "unique" but added her company would continue to "take action when we have enough facts to do so."
Budhraja also said the bans could not be appealed.
Rohingya in Bangladesh: One year after the exodus
A year ago, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya began fleeing Myanmar and crossing into neighboring Bangladesh.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Dusty, hot and crowded – and almost as big as Cologne
Rohingya began fleeing Myanmar to Bangladesh decades ago, resulting in the Kutupalong refugee camp near the southeastern city, Cox’s Bazar. But the camp population has increased dramatically since August 2017 and additional camps have been set up. Almost a million people now live in Kutupalong – a city almost the size of Cologne, but lacking the infrastructure.
Image: Zahirul Islam Shimul
Soccer fever in the refugee camp
International flags were flying at the entrance to the Kutupalong refugee camp during the World Cup. Among the many Brazilian and Argentinian flags were also occasional German ones. Soccer fever was alive in other parts of the camp and in surrounding villages as well. The young community journalists were there to cover it, adding a touch of joy even in a time of crisis.
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Monsoon floods and landslides
Coping with extreme weather conditions is one of the hardest challenges. Cyclones threaten the camp in the spring, torrential rains take over during the monsoon season. Community reporters of the “Palonger Hotha” program offer listeners vital information for survival. This includes where to find bamboo sticks to reinforce shelters, and areas that need to be evacuated due to potential mudslides.
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No one stays dry
Another goal of the radio program is to strengthen the way people see themselves, by taking their daily lives seriously. The reporter team, made up of young Rohingyas and local Bangladeshis, asks families, for example, how their lives are affected when they have to huddle together for hours, due to the weather conditions.
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Collecting constructive ideas
The reporters look for constructive ideas that can inspire the listeners. One reporter, Sajeda, reported on “hanging vegetable gardens”, where beans are planted as a way to increase the food supply despite limited space. The reporters also look at household remedies for curing illnesses that, due to hygiene issues, spread during the rainy season.
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Education instead of a “lost generation”
How can children learn to remember their way home? What can they do to not get lost in the refugee camp? And what are the challenges facing the camp’s Learning Centers? Education for the refugee children is of special concern to the reporter, Iqbal. There are so far no real schools for the children.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
New for Rohingya: Elefant alarms
The refugee camp lies along the migration route for the Asian elephants. Several camp residents, however, were killed in early 2018 when they tried to chase the elephants away. In response, the United Nations held a seminar showing how people should act when elephants approach. “Palonger Hotha” reporters covered this for their program.
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Locals can give advice
Unlike the new refugees, locals know from experience how to react if approached by an elephant: stay calm, don’t move, and the elephant will walk away on its own. DW Akademie trainer Andrea Marshall and translator Romana Akther Shanta learned this in July, on their way to the production of the 12th radio show.
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Logging green hills
Some local Bangladeshis have found work connected to the refugee camp, but also complain that food prices have risen in the region since the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya. Green hills have since been logged because the refugees need space and firewood. This is why it is so important that the community radio program also covers the views of locals.
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Conflict-sensitive approach
Working together with local trainer Mainul Khan, the “Palonger Hotha” team learns how to deal carefully with potentially sensitive topics. The program does not cover politics. On the other hand, the UNHCR’s “Smart Card”, that is supposed to facilitate the (voluntary) return to Myanmar but which many Rohingya find suspicious, is well reported on.
Image: DW/A. Marshall
Overcoming trauma
Traumatic experiences also mark the first anniversary of the mass exodus that began August 25. But at the same time, many people say they are starting to face their trauma – slowly, step by step.
