Hate Speech and Discrimination as Mundane Violence against Rohingya Refugees during covid-19

Abstract

This article advances the critical atrocity lens in challenging the dominant atrocity framework that overly emphasises systematic and large-scale killings in conflict settings. To do so, it argues for the broadened scope of violence to illustrate that hate speech and discrimination produce similar consequences of stripping vulnerable populations of their rights and livelihoods despite the absence of mass killings. This article captures such mundane violence by unpacking the interplay between atrocity crimes, hate speech and discrimination against Rohingya refugees during the covid-19 pandemic. The findings urge scholars and practitioners to consider broader human rights protection during peace time to address root causes of atrocities. In doing so, it can foster inter-communal respect and tolerance, hence preventing grievances from turning into incitement of mass violence.