From Myanmar to Aceh, and now Malaysia: How the Israel-Myanmar playbook is fuelling hate against the Rohingya

The recent spike in online hate targeting Rohingya refugees in Malaysia is largely driven by misinformation and xenophobic rhetoric, spread by bots and fake social media accounts using hundreds of AI-generated videos to turn public hostility against refugee and migrant communities.

The disinformation campaign is similar to the one played out in Aceh in 2023, when an online hate drive spurred locals to demand the expulsion of Rohingya refugees, just months ahead of the Indonesian presidential election.

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