Yahoo Finance 'I need to learn more': Twitter chief Jack Dorsey responds to 'tone deaf' Burma comments
Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has admitted he needs to "learn more" about the human rights situation in Burma after being criticised for a series of "tone deaf" tweets in which he promoted the country as a tourist destination.
The social media boss, 42, received a wave of criticism last week after posting about a personal meditation trip to Burma.
In a series of tweets to his four million followers, Mr Dorsey said he spent ten days meditating in northern Burma, where he described the food as "amazing" and the people as "full of joy."
Critics said the Twitter co-founder appeared to be blissfully unaware of the fact that thousands of people have been killed in Burma amid a military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority.
The Burmese army has allegedly burned areas inhabited by the Rohingya, as well as slaughtering and raping civilians, causing a mass exodus to neighbouring Bangladesh. However, the Burmese authorities deny committing any human rights abuses.
I’m aware of the human rights atrocities and suffering in Myanmar. I don’t view visiting, practicing, or talking with the people, as endorsement. I didn’t intend to diminish by not raising the issue, but could have acknowledged that I don’t know enough and need to learn more.
— jack (@jack) December 11, 2018
"The tone-deafness here is... wow," said one Twitter user. "This is an extremely irresponsible recommendation," said another. "Does he pay no attention to the news and the outcry on his own platform?"
Mr Dorsey has offered "more colour" on his visit and subsequent posts. "I'm aware of the human rights atrocities and suffering in Myanmar. I don't view visiting, practicing, or talking with the people, as endorsement," he said.
"I didn't intend to diminish by not raising the issue, but could have acknowledged that I don't know enough and need to learn more.
"This was a purely personal trip for me focused on only one dimension: meditation practice. That said, I know people are asking about what Twitter is doing around the situation, so I'll share our current state.
"Twitter is a way for people to share news and information about events in Myanmar as well as to bear witness to the plight of the Rohingya and other peoples and communities. We're actively working to address emerging issues. This includes violent extremism and hateful conduct.
"We know we can't do this alone, and continue to welcome conversation with and help from civil society and NGOs within the region. I had no conversations with the government or NGOs during my trip. We're always open to feedback on how to best improve."
He added that he would continue to follow the conversation on his Twitter feed and share anything he learns.
Social media platforms have been accused of failing to prevent the spread of hateful content online that apparently incited violence in Burma.
Last month, Facebook said it agreed with an independent report that found it had failed to stop its platform from being "abused" to "incite offline violence".
It said that it would ban Burma's powerful military chief and 19 other individuals and organisations from its site to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation.
