Lessons From 'National Dialogue': Live With Understanding and Stop Hate Speech

The dialogue centered around a paradigm of hatred in Thai society. Representatives from several sectors participating in the dialogue, including government, private sector, civil society, academia, media, and youths.

During the dialogue, the findings from the study were presented to participants. Four key takeaways were drawn from the study of “Hate Speech in Social Media.”

This report used the methodology of text mining in online platforms, such as Facebook, in order to collect information that was then used to classify 4 types of hate speech, including:

1. Expressing intense dislike: Create stereotypes and allies against opposite beliefs

     e.g., we’re not like them, they’re heretics! they’re deadwood!

2. Instigating hatred: Provoking statements that dehumanize others

     e.g., You scumbag, Selfish, I’ll have your mouth stuffed with pork! You’re not human!

3. Provoking segregation: Express the need of eviction

     e.g., Leave the country! We can’t live together! Just go ahead with the secession!

4. Fueling violence: Incite the physical violence to eliminate opposite sides

     e.g., Kill them all!  Shoot them! Why keep the scum of earth?

The report found that the current online world in our country mostly uses the 2nd type of hate speech which stirs up hatred and encourages provoking statement that dehumanizes others. Now is the time for concerted efforts to move Thai society pass the worrying stage we are in.

It’s better… that we had time to talk before the situation gets worse and harder to solve.

It’s better… that we were aware of the problems in front of us before we won’t have a chance to discuss this.

It’s better… that we knew that this wasn’t a small issue before people start to pick up guns and kill each other

It’s better… that we started to fix this together.

By participating in this event, we learned a new term called “Counter Speech” which means the informative argument against hate speech, that are used to contradict to the detrimental opinions. This counter speech persuades online listeners or readers to stop and reconsider the conventional belief they always have.

The most significant message in “the National Dialogue” was that we need collaboration from all sectors to reduce keyboard abuse and extreme concepts by exchanging ideas in a constructive manner and together creating a better society in the future.

The findings from the study of “Hate speech in Social Media” or “the Decline of Tolerance that Causes Hate Speech in Social Media” reminded us to stop and think before typing anything negative on social media.