Throughout the first six months of 2024, from January to June, pro-military Telegram accounts and channels have been actively spreading hate speech aimed at inciting violence. Phrases such as: “It’s okay if only the land remains [after attacks],” or “people are calling for bombings,” and “There are no civilians left, only terrorists—just bomb them,” were shared, our investigation found.
DVB Fact Check has monitored five Telegram channels—Hmine Wai, Kyaw Swar, Ko Thet, Han Nyein Oo, and Naypyidaw—which were actively spreading calls for violence. Over a six-month period, we were able to collect a total of 234 instances of incitement to violence from these channels.
These calls for violence online led us to examine whether violence actually occurred on the ground. It was uncovered that the incitement to violence called for on Telegram channels had real world effects. Just days after the hate speech was shared online, the military launched raids, burned and destroyed towns and villages. It also carried out airstrikes and bombings.
Online incitement via Telegram channels is not targeting a single area of the country, but it is encouraging violence across various states and regions. We’ve also observed instances of incitement to violence that do not specify any particular location.
The most intense periods of incitement to violence occurred from January to June, coinciding with an escalated military counter offensive to recover territory lost to the Brotherhood Alliance in its Operation 1027, which was launched on Oct. 27, 2023. During the reporting period, there was a surge in calls for violence online.
These online incitements to violence have had real-world consequences, which have led to violence. DVB Fact Check has verified four such incidents through independent and credible news sources, corroborated by photo and video evidence. We cross-checked this data using tools like Google Earth Pro and Google Maps, gathering extensive data to establish a clear link between online incitement and the resulting violence on the ground.
To access the full report detailing the four verified cases that link online incitement to violence with real-world incidents, click here to download in English or in Burmese.
