Anti-Myanmar hate speech flares in Thailand over virus

By Panarat Thepgumpanat, Shoon Naing and Matthew Tostevin

 

FILE PHOTO: Migrant workers stand in front of a closed shrimp market, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Samut Sakhon province, in Thailand, December 20, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - "Wherever you see Myanmar people, shoot them down," read one Thai comment on YouTube after a surge of coronavirus cases among workers from Myanmar.

 

The outbreak, first detected at a seafood market near Bangkok, has prompted a flare-up in such online hate speech as well as questions over the treatment of millions of migrant workers in traditionally tolerant Thailand.

 

"Myanmar people are being labelled for transmitting COVID-19, but the virus doesn't discriminate," said Sompong Srakaew of the Labor Protection Network, a Thai group helping migrant workers.

 

Shifting sentiment had real consequences, he said, with workers from Myanmar, previously known as Burma, being blocked from buses, motorcycle taxis and offices.

 

One of the many incendiary comments on social media seen by Reuters called for infected migrant workers to remain untreated and punishment for people that brought them into Thailand.

 

The rhetoric reflects a global pattern since the start of the pandemic of foreigners being blamed for spreading the virus.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha this week said illegal immigration was behind the outbreak in a country that had brought COVID-19 under control, although Thailand's virus task force appealed for sympathy for immigrants.

 

The independent Social Media Monitoring for Peace group told Reuters it found hundreds of comments classified as hate speech on YouTube with others on Facebook and Twitter.

 

"The comments included racist language aimed at triggering discrimination and promoting nationalism," said the group's Saijai Liangpunsakul. "We're concerned that online discrimination could translate into further discrimination and even lead to real-world violence."

 

After Reuters flagged some posts, Facebook said it had removed several for violating hate speech policies.

 

"We know that hate speech targeted towards vulnerable communities can be the most harmful," a Facebook spokesperson said, saying its technology detected 95% of hate speech.

 

Facebook came under heavy criticism for the role it played in spreading hate speech that fuelled violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in 2017 and has since invested in systems that can rapidly detect and remove such content.

 

Twitter said it was looking into the issue. YouTube did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Not all the social media traffic has been negative, with some Thais defending the Myanmar workers.

 

Government spokespeople in Thailand and Myanmar did not respond immediately to requests for comment on hate speech.

 

'REALLY SAD'

The outbreak was first detected last week at a shrimp market at Samut Sakhon, barely 35 km (20 miles) from central Bangkok. Since then nearly 1,300 infections linked to the market have been found while thousands of people have been quarantined.

 

"We feel really sad that we Myanmar workers are being blamed," said Nay Lin Thu, a 35-year-old worker from Myanmar who has now volunteered to help others.

 

"We are told 'this happened because of you Myanmar'. Mostly we do not respond but some of us couldn’t contain their anger."

 

Officially, Thailand has nearly 1.6 million workers from Myanmar, almost two-thirds of all migrant workers, but the real figure is higher because of illegal immigration. Most migrants are labourers or work in service industries.

 

"Thai people won't take the jobs they are doing," Taweesin Wisanuyothin, of Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce said as he pleaded for tolerance in a televised broadcast. "Today they are our family... Both Myanmar and Thai people are Buddhists."

 

Thailand has traditionally been seen as tolerant of foreigners, but a historic enmity has been revived on social media with references to the 18th century destruction by Burmese forces of Ayutthaya, capital of what was then known as Siam.

 

Myanmar has suffered a much more severe outbreak of coronavirus, with over 2,500 dead from nearly 120,000 confirmed cases compared with 60 fatalities from over 5,800 cases in Thailand.

 

How the new cases first appeared in Thailand is unclear.

 

Similar outbreaks among migrant workers living close together in Malaysia and Singapore showed how the virus can spread undetected among healthy young people who show few symptoms. It was first detected in a 67-year-old woman.

 

Although Thailand reported few local transmissions in recent months, Myanmar had detected cases in citizens returning form Thailand.

 

"Our judgement is that silent carriers have been present in Thailand," said Sein Htay of the Yangon-based Migrant Worker Rights Network. "Living conditions for Myanmar workers are difficult for social distancing with three or four to a room."

 

Despite the accusations against Myanmar workers of crossing the border illegally, Thais have done so too.

 

A previous coronavirus scare flared recently when several Thai women returned home, some using illegal border crossings, after an outbreak at the nightlife spot where they worked in Myanmar.

 

(Reporting by Shoon Naing in Yangon; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Sam Holmes)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-24

 

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3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Anti-Myanmar hate speech flares in Thailand over virus

What will all the Farang Thai defenders say now? How will you all explain this away? 

It's not just Myanmar.  It's foreigners in general.  It's just which flavor of the day gets attention. 

Yesterday - we hate white farangs dirt.
Today - we hate Myanmar dirt.
Tomorrow - we hate Cambodian dirt

When you live in a nationalistic society rampant with xenophobia - what do you expect?  Who corrects the hate? 

If you spewed the racial hate speech in say Germany or EU, you'd end up in jail.

Edited December 24, 20205 yr by connda

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

The independent Social Media Monitoring for Peace group told Reuters it found hundreds of comments classified as hate speech on YouTube with others on Facebook and Twitter.

And they will probably be allow to remain as some hate speech is condoned by Big Tech. 

Thai nationalistic vitriol demeaning all foreigners seem to conform to these media giant's community standards. 

Would never happen if they'd been Chinese. 

Just now, RotBenz8888 said:

Would never happen if they'd been Chinese. 

True, the hate speech for Chinese,Indians,Arabs,Africans is reserved for the TVF.

Here comes the hypocrisy  rampant  in TVF.

7 minutes ago, gearbox said:

True, the hate speech for Chinese,Indians,Arabs,Africans is reserved for the TVF.

You forgot someone. The most hate speech I see on TVF is against Thais!

The problem is not Myanmar workers, it's corrupt Thai officials and people smugglers. They don't care, as long as there is money to be had.

If the Thai's got off their lazy butts and did the work they bring Burmese to do, they may not have a problem, shame Thailand, shame!

This sort of nonsense is an old a humanity itself.

 

It's always "THEM", never me.

 

It's ugly in whatever society it occurs. Thailand has a Health Minister who spouts it; the US has a POTUS who spouts it. Such racist idiocy then acts as an 'all clear' for those in wider society who harbor the same racist views.

Always looking for someone else to blame aren't they? Except their Chinese overloads.

 

Cowards!

Ive  found the local  Thais to be anti everything and extremely  petty in the  village, always blame someone else even better if they arent  Thai, the latest is a  neighbour  complaining about me  blowing leaves  that come off his trees  back  over the road to his  land, they have nothing  good  to say about me at  all, fix  the road....Farang shouldnt be doing it  not his  job, put a concrete road up the hill, they complained it was  illegal, last week when their  land caught fire they asked if they could drive their fire  truck up my concrete road to  put it  out, been accused of everything under the  sun, must have  had half the Thai authorities out here  looking for suspect doings of  mine, theyve  never found anything wrong yet, asked  not to burn my crops so didnt yet they still burn theirs etc etc, its  just my  bad  attitude I  guess

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

You forgot someone. The most hate speech I see on TVF is against Thais!

Whats  the difference between hate  speech and the truth though

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

You forgot someone. The most hate speech I see on TVF is against Thais!

I constantly wonder why so many moanign farangs still contrinue to live in Thailand. They seemingly hate everything about the country. 

8 minutes ago, DavisH said:

I constantly wonder why so many moanign farangs still contrinue to live in Thailand. They seemingly hate everything about the country. 

Many of us are trapped. We come here and they change the rules, then the economy collapses. Show us a way out if you have one.

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The problem is not Myanmar workers, it's corrupt Thai officials and people smugglers. They don't care, as long as there is money to be had.

Don't forget the tens of thousands of companies all over Thailand that hire migrants, especially Burmese, do so for the cheap labour costs, with or without the help of officials and smugglers. 

The hatred should be directed towards the country that knowing a new virus was spreading chose to allow millions of its people to travel around the world for their new year celebrations, instead of shutting its borders. Result-global pandemic.

Also,lets not forget that most of the illegals are here due to Thai corruption in one form or another.

 

Fingers crossed TL manages to control Covid again.

 

 

Kwailand....always blaming its problems on other countries.  Kwai mai sabai.

2 hours ago, DavisH said:

I constantly wonder why so many moanign farangs still contrinue to live in Thailand. They seemingly hate everything about the country. 

If  no  one complained about anything there would  never  be any change, the  Thais have been supressed through their  regime for decades if  not centuries, the whole system is set up to stop any complaints.

7 hours ago, Moonlover said:

You forgot someone. The most hate speech I see on TVF is against Thais!

Gee, I wonder why?

 

Did you not read the original story above?  

4 hours ago, DavisH said:

I constantly wonder why so many moanign farangs still contrinue to live in Thailand. They seemingly hate everything about the country. 

We were in the process of leaving when the pandemic hit. When life gets a little back to normal we’re moving to Portugal. We already have a home there that we’ve rented on Airbnb for years so it’s an easy transition, we know how things work there and speak a bit of the language.

 

We’ve had enough of pollution, xenophobia, bad driving, humidity, and ever changing immigration policy to last a few lifetimes. 
 

Many people stay because they have hope. Hope that Thailand will evolve and become something better. Unfortunately, beyond the pretty malls and faster internet, there is no change for the better, just more traffic, more pollution, and more nonsense. Thailand is a third world country at heart and it will continue to be that way for many generations. 
 

Of course, others stay because they are either a sex addict, alcoholic, or both. No one will ever tell you that you’ve had enough here and you can indulge every fantasy for less than $30. It’s the greatest place on earth of you want to screw or drunk yourself to death.

 

Then there are those who are stuck. They just can’t financially make it anywhere else and don’t hate options. Even Cambodia is getting expensive these days.
 

 

 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Despite the accusations against Myanmar workers of crossing the border illegally, Thais have done so too.

Pot , kettle and all that

Apparently we had a bit of trouble out the back of my house yesterday evening there is a villa being built and the workers are Burmese about 4 or 5 kids shouting abuse at the Burmese, I had gone out for a couple of hours at the moment I dont know the full details,

One thing I know, Them kids are not from out Soi so I dont know where they came from, 

These Burmese are good workers they are clean and tidy and are certainly getting on with the job, also seem to be well organised 

 

10 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Show us a way out if you have one.

 

You get on a plane and leave. It does not get much simpler really... Even given the current circumstances, there are still plenty of flights leaving the country. So if you're desperate to get out, there is nothing standing in your way.

When you see this sort of knee jerk reaction the word that comes to mind is education , a pour standard produces illogical thinking. How's that for Xmas day .????????????????

6 hours ago, dcnx said:

others stay because they are either a sex addict, alcoholic, or both.

God damn!  You saw right through me!

And yet this too.  

It’s almost as if Thais don’t all act in one uniform way. ???? 

 

For me it's incredulous that in 2020 people still don't understand that professional ***t disturbers not only exist but exist in large droves on the internet.  They are based out of places like Russia and China.  Their sole purpose is to sew discontent.  

So you have a bunch of twits on youtube posting nonsense.  Big deal.  

7 hours ago, dcnx said:

We were in the process of leaving when the pandemic hit. When life gets a little back to normal we’re moving to Portugal. We already have a home there that we’ve rented on Airbnb for years so it’s an easy transition, we know how things work there and speak a bit of the language.

 

We’ve had enough of pollution, xenophobia, bad driving, humidity, and ever changing immigration policy to last a few lifetimes. 
 

Many people stay because they have hope. Hope that Thailand will evolve and become something better. Unfortunately, beyond the pretty malls and faster internet, there is no change for the better, just more traffic, more pollution, and more nonsense. Thailand is a third world country at heart and it will continue to be that way for many generations. 
 

Of course, others stay because they are either a sex addict, alcoholic, or both. No one will ever tell you that you’ve had enough here and you can indulge every fantasy for less than $30. It’s the greatest place on earth of you want to screw or drunk yourself to death.

 

Then there are those who are stuck. They just can’t financially make it anywhere else and don’t hate options. Even Cambodia is getting expensive these days.
 

 

 

You forgot about the folks who work here and have families. But yea, they can be still sex addict and/or alcoholics as you say...