Social media is lying to you about Burma’s Muslim ‘cleansing’

[Toramana]

uly 19, 2012

Don't you wonder sometimes, that the information we are being fed on daily basis can be untrue entirely or exaggerated to the point where it loses all its truth? PHOTO: REUTERS

Social networking sites are abuzz with news about Muslims being killed in Burma.You can see the sporadic posting of pictures by different people with captions like ‘Muslims killing in Burma’, ‘Muslims slaughtered by Buddhists in Burma’ and so on.

Thus, I took on the mission to sort the truth out for myself once and for all and researched some pictures that I felt were dubious. Below are a few pictures and their original copies. You can evidently see the gross difference between them and how they are thrown out of context.
This was a picture shared on Facebook.




I have found the original version which reads differently to the the one posted on the social networking site.

This picture was taken in 2010 after an earthquake in China and captures the efforts put in by the Tibetans to help rescue the victims. Now, Islamic political parties and some other elements are sharing this image as Muslim killing and their slaughter in Burma.

Another widely circulated picture captioned “More then 1,000 people killed in Burma” is also fake.

The original, as you can see below, is taken in Thailand in the year 2004. This picture shows protesters that were tear-gassed outside the Tal Bai police station in Bangkok. This is roughly 1,409.9 km away from Burma! What is grossly negligent about these photos is the factual ignorance of the hate these misleading photos can culminate.

Below, please find another image which was posted online, this time with an imprint of Jamaat-e-Islami on the top left . It reads ‘Terrorists of Budhism of Burma kills 500 Muslims’.

As you can guess, this is also a fabricated picture.

In reality, this image belongs to a Human Rights violation incident by the Thai authorities

http://merhrom.wordpress.com/2009/01...ai-government/

against the Rohingya ethnic minority of Burma. These refugees were detained for a few weeks and then sent off drifting into the sea.

Here is another instance of such fallacy spreading across the social media sites regarding the massacre of Muslims in Burma.



This picture is extremely misleading considering that the original image was about the riots in Thailand that took place in 2003!

Now, take a look at the image below and observe how it is blown out of context.



Now, view the original.



The original picture is not even remotely close to what the picture above states. In fact, a Tibetan protester had set himself on fire in protest prior to the arrival of Chinese president Hu Jintao and that too in Delhi.

I do not deny the killings of Muslims in Burma – not even for a minute.

I think it is horrific and I am sympathetic towards the immense loss being suffered by my Muslim brothers and sisters abroad.

What I am against is being lied to.

Imagine the amount of lies we are being fed through these pictures. How can one trust any image online if such drastic manipulation and editing is being done to cater to someone’s political or personal agenda?

Social media and networking sites, if used properly, can be an impressive tool in spreading awareness amongst its users, but it can be an equally dangerous median as well if misused.

These images are false and are only igniting hatred and prejudice in our youth.

We need to become more vigilant and aware of the credibility and authenticity of pictures we browse through. It only takes one wrong image to push us over the edge towards extremism.

Who do you think is more misleading?

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/12867/social-media-is-lying-to-you-about-burmas-muslim-cleansing/

[RevolutionThroughReason]

This is important ...everyone needs to see this ....Fascists are trying to use fabricated stories as a justification of their activities. Trying to portray themselves as victims when they're really perpetrators.

[Toramana]

RTR, despite this, there is really a problem there. Watch the clip below from a Pakistan TV talk although there also seems some exaggeration and some politically motivated propaganda----Actually, these Pakistans are telling the world if you are not talking about manymar, why are you talking about Baluchistan. One should ask these Pakistans, why are you silent about Ughurs in Xingiang? Interestingly, these commentators admit Pakistan is not talking because it has some interests involved e.g., trade, membership to ASEAN, etc.

Bangladesh has rather killed many of these Burmese Muslims when they tried to enter Bangladesh.

http://www.awaztoday.com/News-Talk-Shows/25465/Sochta-Pakistan-19th-July-2012-Muslims-genocide-in-Burma-Why-the-world-is-silent.aspx

[RevolutionThroughReason]

yes I realize there is a problem there .....but stories misrepresented this way are used by the Extremist Propaganda machine to say "look at what they do to Muslim everywhere we must constantly kill all those who stand in our path or this will happen". It's a psychological technique to manipulate the masses by using real conflicts to their advantage.

Yes, Bangladesh has shown their true colors, Originally when Bangladesh gained independence, Morally conscious activists were involved, but after 40 years, Bangladesh has been saturated with corruption, and the Jamat-i-Islami party holds great political sway, these men were former Razakars, that is how we have Bangladeshis like Asad71 here promoting Taliban ideology at the expense of Pashtuns and innocent Muslims. These burmese situation doesn't surprise me. the same type of Razakars who let their own women get raped, are the one who support the Taliban onslaught against afghan civilians are the same that murder Burmese Muslims for trying to escape tyranny.

[faye]

this kind of stirring is what i would imagine from mossad or the cia.
the americans would love to stir up something around the area of china, so they can make an excuse to interfere. then the next thing, they will put bases in there, to intimidate china.

that rita katz, claims she is in touch with extremist muslims over the net, but is more than likely creating these sites herself, to propagandise.

[asad71]

RTR, despite this, there is really a problem there. Watch the clip below from a Pakistan TV talk although there also seems some exaggeration and some politically motivated propaganda----Actually, these Pakistans are telling the world if you are not talking about manymar, why are you talking about Baluchistan. One should ask these Pakistans, why are you silent about Ughurs in Xingiang? Interestingly, these commentators admit Pakistan is not talking because it has some interests involved e.g., trade, membership to ASEAN, etc.

Bangladesh has rather killed many of these Burmese Muslims when they tried to enter Bangladesh.

http://www.awaztoday.com/News-Talk-Shows/25465/Sochta-Pakistan-19th-July-2012-Muslims-genocide-in-Burma-Why-the-world-is-silent.aspx

1.Since 1948 streams of Arakanese Muslims have been coming to BD and settling down. More than half of Arakanese Rohingyas are now in BD. In BD they have been welcome and not even been called/treated as refugees/Mohajirs.

2. The current govt in BD is vastly pro-Indian. At all levels of administration and among the population there has been an outcry against the govt decision. Under an Indian prescription,this time GOB must show itself unconcerned when Muslims are involved. This GOB must display its secular attitude. Moreover, India feels threatened if these Muslims settle down in our south-eastern districts which falls on the logistics route for the Nagas, ULFA and others fighting Indian occupation.

3. The best answer was Gen Zia who had threatened Burma to take their people back or he would arm them to fight their way back home.

4. Not a single bullet was fired by our border police at these people. Instead they were given medical assistance and food before sending them back home. But that is about 25% of the story. The nature of our border is such that 75% have crossed over and got mingled among our 160 mlln population.

5. It is noteworthy that Burma began the present spate of massacres just after the visit of Indian PM. Both Hindu India and Buddhist Burma are working on a common pogrom of ethnic cleansing of Muslims.

[drona]

The current govt in BD is vastly pro-Indian. At all levels of administration and among the population there has been an outcry against the govt decision. Under an Indian prescription,this time GOB must show itself unconcerned when Muslims are involved. This GOB must display its secular attitude. Moreover, India feels threatened if these Muslims settle down in our south-eastern districts which falls on the logistics route for the Nagas, ULFA and others fighting Indian occupation.

3. The best answer was Gen Zia who had threatened Burma to take their people back or he would arm them to fight their way back home.

4. Not a single bullet was fired by our border police at these people. Instead they were given medical assistance and food before sending them back home. But that is about 25% of the story. The nature of our border is such that 75% have crossed over and got mingled among our 160 mlln population.

5. It is noteworthy that Burma began the present spate of massacres just after the visit of Indian PM. Both Hindu India and Buddhist Burma are working on a common pogrom of ethnic cleansing of Muslims.

Are you really Bangladeshi? Be honest. Even someone belonging to a razakar is not this shameless. Dragging India into every thread and derailing it. The topic of the thread is how some vested interests are exploiting the tragedy of Arkanese people in order to spread propaganda, but rather than commenting on the topic, you go off tangent and you start spewing vitriol against India.

this time GOB must show itself unconcerned when Muslims are involved.

and

Not a single bullet was fired by our border police at these people. Instead they were given medical assistance and food before sending them back home.

Confused much? So is the government unconcerned or concerned? Decide for once

I think you are another Paki patriot. Why can't you guys be honest for once and reveal your true identity. This forum seems to be attracting many pretenders like you . I wonder why ?

[JattApache]

1.Since 1948 streams of Arakanese Muslims have been coming to BD and settling down. More than half of Arakanese Rohingyas are now in BD. In BD they have been welcome and not even been called/treated as refugees/Mohajirs.

2. The current govt in BD is vastly pro-Indian. At all levels of administration and among the population there has been an outcry against the govt decision. Under an Indian prescription,this time GOB must show itself unconcerned when Muslims are involved. This GOB must display its secular attitude. Moreover, India feels threatened if these Muslims settle down in our south-eastern districts which falls on the logistics route for the Nagas, ULFA and others fighting Indian occupation.

3. The best answer was Gen Zia who had threatened Burma to take their people back or he would arm them to fight their way back home.

4. Not a single bullet was fired by our border police at these people. Instead they were given medical assistance and food before sending them back home. But that is about 25% of the story. The nature of our border is such that 75% have crossed over and got mingled among our 160 mlln population.

5. It is noteworthy that Burma began the present spate of massacres just after the visit of Indian PM. Both Hindu India and Buddhist Burma are working on a common pogrom of ethnic cleansing of Muslims.

You are not even a razakar, you are a Pakistani.

Shame on you.

I like the bangladeshi people, the true ones.

[RevolutionThroughReason]

Asad71 is a Self-Hating Banglaedeshi who sold himself to Pakistan and works as their agent.