Twitter's Jack Dorsey promotes Myanmar despite genocide reports
It's another instance of internet giants seemingly ignoring major crises.
Unfortunately, social network leaders still appear to be tone deaf regarding Myanmar's reported atrocities. Twitter chief Jack Dorsey posted a series of tweets encouraging followers to visit Myanmar after he'd been there for a birthday meditation retreat, seemingly ignoring widespread evidence of the country's government committing genocide against the Rohingya people and forcing hundreds of thousands of them to flee. He focused solely on his trip, noting that the "people are full of joy" and celebrating the experience of listening to a Kendrick Lamar album after breaking silence.
As the New York Times' Liam Stack noted, the issue isn't just that Dorsey completely sidestepped the Myanmar government's actions -- it's that he did so despite social networking (mainly Facebook) playing an instrumental role in fostering massacres and other crimes.
We've asked Twitter for comment. However, it's reasonable to presume that Dorsey's Myanmar endorsement won't help Twitter persuade the public that it's responsive to complaints. People have already accused the company of being reluctant to remove some of its most toxic users, and now its CEO appears to have glossed over a government's horrific acts while touting his own journey of self-discovery.
For my birthday this year, I did a 10-day silent vipassana meditation, this time in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar 🇲🇲. We went into silence on the night of my birthday, the 19th. Here's what I know 👇🏼
— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018