This report is based on an analysis of 77 posts shared on social media platforms in Myanmar during May 2025. It examines patterns of hate speech and fake news, focusing on the targeted ethnic and religious groups, the methods of propaganda dissemination, and the role of media platforms. The aim of this research is to uncover how such content contributes to social division, conflict, and the incitement of violence within the community.

The spread of hate speech and fake news through social media and other communication channels within Myanmar has the potential to exacerbate ethnic, religious, and political tensions, leading to a rise in social polarization and conflict across communities.

Read more: May 2025 - Digital Hate Monthly Report (Eng -Myan)

This report has been compiled through monitoring online and print media used by the junta and its supporters to spread hate speech. Specifically, in April 2025, BHRN monitored 3 Facebook groups and 13 Facebook accounts and found 29 instances of hate speech; 24 Telegram channels with 32 instances; and 24 TikTok accounts with 19 instances. For print media monitoring, two newspapers and one journal were observed. During the monitoring of hate speech in April, a total of 80 cases of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech dissemination were recorded.

Read more: April 2025 - Digital Hate Monthly Report (Eng -Myan)

In January 2025, the military regime enacted a new technology law aimed at controlling hate speech and fake news. The law mandates the removal of "fake news" and "hate speech" from internet platforms, with penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, it bans the use of VPN services without permission. However, the military’s law is only focused on criticisms of it and does not affect ethnic armed groups, the People’s Defense Forces, or the general public.

In March 2025, widespread hate speech on social media and print media in Myanmar was prominently observed in BHRN's Hate Speech Monitoring Report. Particularly, hate speech targeting Muslims, the Rohingya ethnic, PDF members, ethnic armed groups such as AA and KIA, members of the People’s Defense Forces, and female revolutionaries has been on the rise. These speeches involve racial, religious, gender, political, and social class-based justifications, portraying these groups as criminals, degrading them, and inciting violence.

It was observed that, in terms of religious hate speech, the Buddhist community predominantly spread hate towards Muslims. Following the earthquake on March 28, there were also instances of hate speech regarding the destruction of many Islamic religious sites including mosques. Although these buildings have existed for over a century, they were severely damaged due to successive government denial of repair permits. There have also been calls to prevent the reconstruction of these schools, leaving Muslims excluded from assistance in the process.

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Introduction

This report documents instances of hate speech, discriminatory expressions, and unjust criticism disseminated through social media, online platforms, and print media. It analyzes the nature, prevalence, and societal impact of hate speech observed throughout February.

This report aims to promote safer and more respectful communication while fostering greater social harmony in online spaces. By sharing knowledge on how to identify, respond to, and protect against hate speech, we hope to contribute to a more stable and inclusive society.

Research Methodology

As hate speech is a term that comes from emotion, there is a wide spectrum in defining it, not a specific one. BHRN, therefore, standardized the definition of hate speech for this report as follows. Hate speech in this report means aggressiveness and hatred against protected characteristics of a person or a group, blaming, discriminative expression, writing, gesture, or art expression of excoriation, dehumanization.

It means attacking someone’s faith, language, gender, sexual orientation, origin, ethnicity, skin color, race, belief, citizenship and physical appearance. The monitored hate speeches were categorized as (1) Criminalizing Hate Speech, (2) Abusive Hate Speech, (3) Dehumanizing Hate Speech, (4) Violence Inciting Hate Speech, (5) Threatening Hate Speech, and (6) Hate Speech that supports prejudicial actions inspired by hate speech.

Read more: February 2025 - Digital Hate Monthly Report (Eng -Myan)