Burma Campaign UK today called on Facebook Vice President Nick Clegg to stop Facebook taking money from the Burmese military, and instead kick Burmese military companies off Facebook.
On 25th February, following the military coup, Facebook claimed it was banning the military, but the ban did not apply to military companies. Facebook has been incapable of explaining why. Instead, Facebook claimed it would only allow free advertising on military company pages, and no longer allow paid for advertising.
Facebook refuses to remove military companies despite the role the companies play in financing the military and the crimes they commit. Facebook hosts dozens of pages by military companies, allowing them to use Facebook to promote their products and services.
Five adverts from three different Mytel Facebook pages are currently running on Facebook.
“As a British member of Parliament Nick Clegg supported sanctions against the military, but now as Facebook Vice President his company helps promote military companies and even takes their blood money to do it,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK. “Facebook have a bizarre addiction to the Burmese military, unwilling to kick them off despite the damage done to their reputation. If taking these adverts were an oversight, then it’s an oversight that could only happen because the Pages doing the advertising were there in the first place.”
Since the military coup more than 800 people have been killed, more than 60,000 displaced and more than 5,000 arrested. The military is using sexual violence against women who have been detained. More than 50 of those killed are children. Nick Clegg has not explained why he thinks it is so essential that Facebook keeps hosting pages by a military which commits these horrific human rights violations.
Mytel advertisement started 19th May 2021
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1982648841886091
Mytel advertisement started 19th May 2021
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=875693053290556
Mytel advertisement started 12th May 2021
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1180077189093143
Mytel advertisement started 12th May 2021
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=336081584518367
Mytel advertisement started 12th May 2021
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=456294795672051
Burma Campaign UK media release regarding Facebooks partial ban on the military using Facebook.