Twitter chief Jack Dorsey responds to criticism over 'amazing' Myanmar tour

Twitter’s chief executive and co-founder Jack Dorsey has responded to an avalanche of criticism for tweets promoting Myanmar as a tourist destination, stating that he did not intent to diminish the “the human rights atrocities and suffering” in the country.

Jack Dorsey was accused of being “tone deaf” and an apologist for the Myanmar regime after documenting his travels last month where he visited and meditated at temples “across the country”. He urged people to visit Myanmar and to experience the “amazing food” and people who were “full of joy”.

Responding to those who had criticised him for not mentioning the violent crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine state, which a UN official described this year as an “ongoing” genocide, Dorsey said that was a “purely personal trip for me focused on only one dimension: meditation practice”.

He added: “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.”

Dorsey said he had “no conversations with government or NGOs” during his trip and emphasised he had travelled to Myanmar as a devotee of vipassana meditation practice, which is still practised its original form in Myanmar.

“I took this time with a singular objective of working on myself,” he added. “I shared my experience with the world with the singular objective of encouraging others to consider a similar practice. Simply because it’s the best thing I’ve found to help me every day.”

In August 2017, a military-led crackdown against the Rohingya saw thousands killed, villages razed to the ground and women raped and assaulted. More than 700,000 people were driven over the border to Bangladesh to seek safety.

A UN fact-finding mission recently concluded that the military had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rakhine and had “genocidal intent” in the actions against the Rohingya. Conditions in Rakhine for the remaining Rohingya remain oppressive, where they are still subjected to continued discrimination and abuse, with many still fleeing across the border or on boats to Malaysia and Indonesia.

Dorsey used his tweets to state that Twitter was “actively” working in Myanmar on ensuring it was not used as a platform for “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,” he said.