My Journey

Let me take you back to Myanmar. Myanmar, a country with a long history of conflict between its various ethnic groups, but what happened to the Rohingya was different. It wasn’t just conflict it was genocide, an organized campaign of violence that forced over a million of us to flee our homeland. And while this violence was driven by years of discrimination and ethnic tension, it was amplified and fueled by a new and dangerous tool: social media, and more specifically, Facebook.

Myanmar was a country that had been isolated for decades under military rule. But in 2010, it began to open up to the world, and with that came the rapid adoption of technology. Mobile phones and the internet spread like wildfire, and suddenly, a population that had been cut off from the rest of the world was online. Facebook became synonymous with the internet in Myanmar. For most people, it wasn’t just a social media platform; it was their only source of news and information.

This overnight digital revolution seemed like a great opportunity for tech companies like Facebook, eager to tap into new markets. But the problem was, they weren’t prepared for the complexities of a country like Myanmar, with its deep-rooted ethnic tensions and unstable democracy. Facebook’s algorithms, designed to promote engagement and keep users on the platform as long as possible, started to favor the most extreme and sensational content. And in Myanmar, that meant hate speech, lies, and conspiracy theories targeting the Rohingya.

In a country where many people were coming online for the first time, this content spread like wildfire. Extremist Buddhist nationalists and politicians used Facebook to spread hateful rhetoric, accusing the Rohingya of being illegal immigrants, invaders, and terrorists. One of the most notorious figures was Ashin Wirathu, a Buddhist monk who led the 969 Movement, an extremist group fixed on marginalizing and demonizing Muslims, particularly the Rohingya. Wirathu and others like him used Facebook to incite violence and spread dangerous lies, fueling hatred and resentment. There are so many individuals as well.

For years, the Rohingya were demonized on Facebook. Fake stories about Rohingya men raping Burmese women, conspiracy theories about Rohingya storing weapons, and false claims that we were trying to take over the country were shared thousands of times. And because Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes content that generates strong emotions, these posts were promoted and spread rapidly. The more hateful and inflammatory the content, the more visibility it received.

As someone who lived through this, I can tell you how heartbreaking it was to see these lies spread about my people. I saw posts shared by government officials, by Buddhist monks, and by ordinary people, all calling for violence against the Rohingya. I reported these posts, over and over again, but Facebook’s response was always the same: "This does not violate our community standards." They failed to understand—or perhaps they chose to ignore—the gravity of what was happening.

The issue at the heart of this tragedy is not just inattention—it’s the very business model of Facebook. The platform’s algorithms are designed to maximize engagement, and unfortunately, what keeps people engaged is often what divides and angers them the most outrage sells. This is why Facebook’s algorithm tends to promote divisive, inflammatory content because it keeps people clicking, commenting, and sharing. And as we saw in Myanmar, this can have devastating consequences.

The Facebook Papers, leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen, revealed that Facebook knew about the dangers its platform posed in countries like Myanmar, but it chose to prioritize profits over people. Facebook knew that its platform was being used to spread hate speech and incite violence, but it did not allocate the resources needed to address the problem. In countries like Myanmar, where the company had fewer financial interests, Facebook simply didn’t care enough to intervene.

But the consequences of this inaction were terrible. In 2017, violence against the Rohingya reached a peak, as Myanmar’s military launched a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing. Tens of thousands were killed, women were raped, villages were burned to the ground, and over a million of us were forced to flee to refugee camps in Bangladesh. And while this violence was not caused by Facebook, the platform played a crucial role in amplifying the hatred and disinformation that fueled it.

This is why we are now fighting for justice. Along with other survivors of the Rohingya genocide, I am a plaintiff in a case against Facebook in the Irish High Court. We are seeking accountability for the role Facebook played in facilitating this violence. We have also filed a complaint with the OECD, although our main focus is on the Irish case, as we believe it offers the best chance for meaningful change.

These legal battles are important, but they are not enough. The truth is, holding Big Tech accountable is an incredibly difficult task. The current legal frameworks are not equipped to deal with the scale and complexity of the harm these platforms can cause. This is why we need stronger regulation, and why the European Union has a crucial role to play.

Continued Wave of Genocide Against Rohingya in Arakan

We, the Rohingya community, firmly condemn all human rights abuses against innocent civilians in Myanmar. We specifically denounce the ongoing genocide targeting our vulnerable population by both the military junta and the Arakan Army (AA).

In our report from February 2024, we documented a series of horrific atrocities against the Rohingya community. From January 1 to February 16, we recorded 40 Rohingya killed, 4 abducted, 60 injured, and widespread displacement in areas like Buthidaung, Maung Daw, Kyauktaw, Minbya, and Sittwe.

Our most recent findings, covering February 17 to April 25, 2024, reveal an alarming escalation in violence. Despite communication challenges, we documented:

-114 Rohingya killed, 106 injured, 83 abducted, 460 arbitrary arrests, and Extensive property destruction.

These incidents occurred across regions such as Maung Daw, Buthidaung, Sittwe, Minbya, and Kyauk Phyu, highlighting the grave situation facing our community.

We have accurately documented these heinous atrocities. A report from February 17 and April 27, 2024, expose severe violations of International Humanitarian Law, including massacres, mass graves, and war crimes committed by the Rakhine Army against the Rohingya.

1. Massacre in Hoyasiri Village, Buthidaung (May 2, 2024): Over 113 Rohingya, primarily women and children, were executed and burned in an attack by the Rakhine Army.

2. Mass Slaughter in Northern Ywet Nyo Taung Village, Buthidaung (April 11, 2024): More than 20 Rohingya were killed, their bodies discarded in a mass grave.

3. Abduction and Massacre, Northern Maung Daw (April 17-22, 2024): Five abducted Rohingya were discovered murdered days later.

4. Bombing of Basic Education High School Number 1, Buthidaung (May 4, 2024): An attack killed three Rohingya and injured sixteen as they sought refuge at the school.

5. Bombing of Basic Education High School Number 3, Buthidaung (April 21, 2024): This bombing targeted a shelter for displaced Rohingya, injuring one woman.

6. Destruction of Rohingya Homes (April 12-May 7, 2024): Approximately 5,000 homes were burned down, displacing thousands and leaving many in desperate conditions.

These violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law demand immediate action. I urge the International Community to initiate an independent investigation into the actions of the Rakhine Army and military against Rohingya. I call on the International Community to establish a safe zone for the protection of Rohingya civilians in Arakan, preventing further loss of innocent lives and ensuring accountability for the perpetrators of these atrocities. Thank you.

First and foremost, Facebook must change its algorithm. It must stop prioritizing engagement at all costs, especially when that engagement comes from promoting harmful content. Facebook should give users more control over what they see on their feed, allowing them to filter out hate speech and disinformation. Users should have the option to turn off the algorithm entirely if they choose.

Secondly, Facebook must be held accountable for the harm it has caused. They should provide compensation to the victims of their platform’s failures, and they should invest in initiatives aimed at preventing the spread of hate speech and disinformation in vulnerable regions.

The European Union can lead the charge in making these changes a reality. The EU’s Digital Services Act is a positive step, but more needs to be done. The EU should require platforms like Facebook to conduct regular impact assessments of their algorithms and make those findings public. If an algorithm is found to disproportionately promote harmful content, it should be revised immediately.

Moreover, the EU should push for greater transparency in how platforms moderate content. Facebook must be more open about how it handles reports of hate speech and violence, and it must be held accountable when it fails to act. Additionally, the export of surveillance technologies to authoritarian regimes must be strictly regulated, as these technologies are often used to suppress minorities and dissidents.

The story of the Rohingya genocide is not just a story about Myanmar—it is a story about the global consequences of unregulated technology. Platforms like Facebook have immense power, and with that power comes responsibility. But so far, they have failed to live up to that responsibility, prioritizing profits over the safety of vulnerable communities.

As we look beyond 2024, the European Union has the opportunity to lead the world in regulating Big Tech and ensuring that platforms are held accountable for the harm they cause. The stakes are too high to do nothing. If we do not act, more communities will suffer, and more lives will be destroyed.