In documenting historical records of destruction or grievous danger to a peoples over time, digital trails are a human rights crusader’s best–sometimes most accurate–source of evidence. And yet at the same time, such data can fall into the wrong hands, putting the lives of the persecuted, and those fighting for their rights, at grave risk. Today, we consider digital footprints in the context of the growing body of evidence of the Rohingya genocide.
From online videos of eyewitness testimonies to satellite images of arson or environmental degradation, we have increasing access to more relevant data today than ever before. When used responsibly, this data can help ensure justice for survivors of gender-based violence or help book war criminals to account in a court room.
WITNESS’ Asia-Pacific team recently caught up with activist Jamila Hanan, who has been campaigning for the rights of Burma’s Rohingya people since 2012. She shared with us her experiences, methods and challenges in documenting and verifying eyewitness accounts of the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people by harnessing online media:
The #WeAreAllRohingyaNow campaign is entirely focused on calling on multinational corporations to speak out and eventually act on behalf of the Rohingya. It is focusing on these corporations because we believe they have more power and influence that they could exert on the Myanmar military than our own governments do in today’s world.
GoogleMap of the Rohingya Clearance Operations 2016-2017:
A Screenshot of GoogleDoc Data Log #2:
Photo Credit: Shafiur Rahman
- Check out the campaign’s blog site here and their YouTube channel here.
- Read our earlier blog post on the importance of verifying digital data streaming out of the Rohingya crisis.
- These interview tips will ensure the dignity and respect of survivors of gender-based violence.
- Watch this video which was adapted from WITNESS’ tip sheet on Filming Hate, a primer for using video to document human rights abuses, to learn how to verify valuable footage.
- If you are one of hundreds or thousands reporting from the front lines of this refugee crisis with your mobile phone, these tips will help ensure you are safe, ethical and effective.
- Will your human rights film be a testimony to truth? Watch 17 short videos that teach video production fundamentals.
Meghana Bahar is WITNESS’ Social Media & Communications Consultant for Asia-Pacific. She is a gender & media specialist, with 18 years of experience in transnational women’s and human rights movements.