Myanmar violence sparks online war with anti-Rohingya hate speech

While multiple ethnic groups have been affected by the conflict, the international community has urged Myanmar govt to stop violence and take action to help the refugees

Myanmar’s internet exploded with hate speech, fake news photos, and racist narratives after the Myanmar military clashed with Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on August 25, 2017, near the Bangladesh border in the northwestern part of the country.

The violence lasted for days with the Myanmar government immediately declaring ARSA a terrorist group while launching aggressive ‘clearance operations’ in the villages of Rakhine state. The government and ARSA blamed each other for civilian casualties caused by the conflict.

As the violence continues, the Myanmar government has tried to assist in relocating non-Muslim ethnic