The Digital Persecution of the Rohingya: How Misinformation Fuels Anti-Refugee Sentiment
The Rohingya crisis, a tragic exodus of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing persecution in Myanmar, has been exacerbated by a relentless campaign of misinformation that spreads rapidly across digital platforms. This disinformation, originating primarily in Myanmar and Bangladesh, crosses borders and fuels anti-immigrant sentiment throughout South Asia, particularly in India. The Rohingya, already victims of violence and displacement, are further victimized in the online sphere, where they are falsely portrayed as threats and criminals, their voices effectively silenced in a world increasingly reliant on digital communication.
This digital persecution follows a disturbing pattern: images and videos taken from refugee camps in Bangladesh or conflict zones in Myanmar are deliberately misrepresented and disseminated through social media and even some news outlets. These manipulated visuals, often accompanied by incendiary captions and false narratives, paint the Rohingya as a dangerous element, exploiting existing biases and fears, particularly anti-Muslim sentiment. This creates a distorted reality where victims are transformed into villains, justifying hostility and discriminatory policies against them.
A recent study has documented over 20 fact-checked instances of anti-Rohingya disinformation circulating on Indian social media platforms between 2017 and 2025. These fabricated narratives depict Rohingya refugees as terrorists, criminals, and a demographic threat, falsely linking them to various criminal activities and exaggerating their population size. The study reveals a systematic effort to demonize the Rohingya, using doctored images, misleading captions, and outright fabrications to fuel prejudice and promote exclusionary policies.
India’s vulnerability to anti-Rohingya disinformation stems from several factors. A significant undocumented Rohingya population within India, coupled with pre-existing anti-Muslim sentiment and politically charged media landscapes, creates fertile ground for these false narratives to take root. Hindu-nationalist groups have actively exploited the Rohingya’s vulnerability, portraying them as a security threat and a symbol of “demographic jihad,” furthering a broader agenda of Islamophobia. Social media platforms and partisan news outlets amplify these messages, giving them a veneer of legitimacy and contributing to a climate of fear and hostility.
The spread of misinformation targeting the Rohingya follows a transnational trajectory. False narratives often originate in Myanmar and Bangladesh, then migrate to India through shared language networks and diaspora media channels. Doctored images from refugee camps in Bangladesh are presented as evidence of crimes committed in India, furthering the false narrative of the Rohingya as a criminal element. These narratives exploit existing communal tensions and religious prejudices within India, casting the Rohingya as a threat to Hindu communities.
The study also identified recurring themes and tactics in this disinformation campaign. The misuse of old images and videos with fabricated Indian contexts, the exploitation of the Rohingya’s Muslim identity to inflame communal tensions, and the use of sensational language to amplify fear are common tactics. The disinformation often originates from a small network of politically aligned social media accounts and pages, suggesting a coordinated effort to manipulate public opinion. This disinformation is then amplified by partisan media and spread through platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, reaching a wider audience and solidifying the false narratives in the public consciousness.
The digital sphere has become a battleground where the Rohingya are not only silenced but actively demonized. Lacking political representation and access to media platforms, they have little recourse to counter the false narratives circulating about them. This digital silencing compounds their existing statelessness, leaving them vulnerable to further persecution and discrimination. The manipulation of images and videos, coupled with the amplification of these narratives by state actors and partisan media, creates a climate of fear and hostility that has real-world consequences for Rohingya refugees.
This systematic campaign of disinformation against the Rohingya represents a profound failure of digital governance. While social media platforms have implemented some measures to combat misinformation, these efforts have proven inadequate in the face of this coordinated and persistent campaign. International organizations like the UNHCR have warned about the real-world consequences of unchecked hate speech, but more robust action is needed from both governments and tech companies to protect vulnerable populations like the Rohingya.
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach. Media accountability, platform interventions to slow the spread of misinformation, and regional fact-checking collaborations are crucial to counteracting the false narratives that demonize the Rohingya. Efforts to promote media literacy and critical thinking are also essential to empower individuals to identify and resist disinformation. Ultimately, combating the digital persecution of the Rohingya requires a commitment to protecting their human rights and ensuring that their voices are heard, not silenced, in the digital age. Only by addressing the discursive, policy, and technological dimensions of this crisis can the cycle of statelessness and digital voicelessness be broken.