Tag archives: Myanmar

1,800 Rohingya relocated to isolated island
December 30, 2020 By Faith Matters

1,800 Rohingya relocated to isolated island

Seven Bangladesh navy ships carrying 1,804 Rohingya refugees have arrived at an isolated island where they will be relocated despite concerns among human rights groups about their safety. They reached Bhashan Char island, 21 miles from the mainland, after a four-hour naval journey from the port city of Chittagong, government official Mohammed Khurshed Alam Khan […]

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Memorial to Second World War ‘Forgotten Army’ given listed status to mark VJ Day
August 13, 2020 By Faith Matters

Memorial to Second World War ‘Forgotten Army’ given listed status to mark VJ Day

A Second World War memorial to a force known as the “Forgotten Army” has been given special protection to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, which effectively marked the end of the conflict. The Chindit Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens in central London has been listed at Grade II by the Department […]

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U.N.: Social media must clamp down on hate speech
August 30, 2018 By Faith Matters

U.N.: Social media must clamp down on hate speech

Social media, including Facebook, must proactively block content inciting hatred and prevent online campaigns which target minorities, such as those undertaken in Myanmar, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday. Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, was speaking after U.N. experts accused Myanmar generals of “genocidal intent” and said Facebook […]

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Myanmar: UN says it is still denied ‘effective access’ to Rakhine region
August 22, 2018 By Faith Matters

Myanmar: UN says it is still denied ‘effective access’ to Rakhine region

The United Nations is awaiting “effective access” to the Myanmar region where 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were driven out in an army crackdown, months after agreeing with the government to aid the return of refugees, the U.N. country head said on Tuesday. The organisation’s agencies for development and refugees – UNDP and UNHCR – signed a […]

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Myanmar: Why Facebook is losing the war on hate speech in Myanmar
August 16, 2018 By Faith Matters

Myanmar: Why Facebook is losing the war on hate speech in Myanmar

In April, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told U.S. senators that the social media site was hiring dozens more Burmese speakers to review hate speech posted in Myanmar. The situation was dire. Some 700,000 members of the Rohingya community had recently fled the country amid a military crackdown and ethnic violence. In March, a United Nations […]

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Myanmar: ‘Hijab is like a key’ – beauty blogger battles bias
August 14, 2018 By Faith Matters

Myanmar: ‘Hijab is like a key’ – beauty blogger battles bias

Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar usually keep a low profile for fear of intimidation, but Win Lae Phyu Sin, one of the community’s rare bloggers on beauty care, has gone the other way. The 19-year-old was the centre of attraction at a recent launch of beauty products in Yangon, her striking multi-coloured make-up offset by a […]

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Buddhist mobs target Sri Lanka’s Muslims despite state of emergency
March 7, 2018 By Faith Matters

Buddhist mobs target Sri Lanka’s Muslims despite state of emergency

Sri Lanka shut down social messaging networks including Facebook on Wednesday to control violence targeted at the country’s minority Muslims, officials said, even after the imposition of emergency in the Buddhist-majority island. Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of […]

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