‘Voxpop’ film on hate speech in Myanmar

PEN Myanmar investigated how hate speech manifests in everyday speech and practices, as part of their continued commitment to end hate speech and reduce inequalities. They conducted detailed interviews with people in Yangon, drawn from across a range of ages, genders, places of origin within Myanmar, and occupations; and from these they compiled a 15-minute ‘voxpop’ film. As well as representing a sample of public opinions and attitudes, the film includes an educational message from PEN Myanmar’s President. It has been shared across the organisation’s social media platforms, and PEN Myanmar reported increased awareness about how hate speech negatively affects Myanmar’s peace and democracy as a result. The video has also been pressed into DVDs and distributed around the country for use in regional and local advocacy and campaigning, and a shorter version was produced for periodic social media dissemination.