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Updated December 8th, 2021 at 20:45 IST

Meta expands prohibition on posts linked to Myanmar's military-controlled businesses

Meta stated that its prohibition on postings related to Myanmar's military has been expanded to encompass all pages representing military-controlled businesses.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
Meta
Image: PTI/AP | Image:self
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Facebook's parent company Meta on Wednesday announced that its prohibition on postings related to Myanmar's military has been expanded to encompass all pages, groups, and accounts representing military-controlled businesses. Earlier in the month of February, the social media platform had already prohibited such businesses from advertising, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The latest move comes just one day after a lawsuit was filed in California against Meta, seeking more than $150 billion in damages for the company's alleged failure to stop hateful posts that incited violence against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority by Myanmar's military and its supporters. 

Myanmar's army, also known as Tatmadaw, had conducted a ruthless counterinsurgency operation in Rakhine province, which forced over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh for safety. According to critics, the operation, which included mass executions, rape, and arson, was ethnic cleansing and potentially genocide. The Security forces have used lethal force to suppress nonviolent anti-military protests since the military's takeover in February. The army has also been accused of abusing locals while fighting pro-democracy militia members in the countryside.

Burma Campaign UK hails Meta's latest move

Activists claim that the military exploits the internet to propagate lies and hate speech. Facebook declared in April that it would "adopt a particular policy for Myanmar" to remove praise, support, and advocacy of violence by Myanmar security forces and protestors from the platform. Meanwhile, Burma Campaign UK, which had urged Facebook to do more to limit the military's access to its platforms, applauded the latest move, but also pointed out that Facebook had resisted taking down military businesses' pages.

“The belated decision to remove military company pages appears more an act of desperation after being sued for $150 billion for being involved in Rohingya genocide than any genuine concern for human rights,” Burma Campaign UK’s director, Mark Farmaner, said in a statement as reported by the AP. The military, primarily through two large holding firms, controls a considerable amount of Myanmar's economy. Meta stated that it is relying on a report issued by United Nations investigators in 2019 to find relevant companies. According to data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), almost 1,200 people have been killed since the military takeover took place in February. Following the military's seizure of power, tens of thousands of people were detained during brutal protests in the country. 

(With AP inputs)

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Published December 8th, 2021 at 20:45 IST

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