South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, conducted a research to investigate the impact of social media in the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023. The report, Fabricated Reality: The Role of Social Media during the Manipur Violence in 2023, analyses how online platforms contributed to intensify as well as the internet shut down was used as a futile measure to de-escalate ethnic tensions and as a result how it weakened the digital communications ecosystem during this grave crisis.
The violence erupted in the Indian state of Manipur between the two ethnic communities: Meiteis concentrated in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo communities in the surrounding hill districts.
This report identifies that social media platforms played a significant role in accelerating the conflict. Disinformation, misinformation, hate speech entailing inflammatory narratives were circulated widely on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and X, often portraying communities through dehumanising language. These fabricated online narratives entailing atrocious details deepened extant mistrust, fuelled polarisation and in most instances contributed to retaliatory violence on the ground. Gendered hate speech targeting women and women-led organisations emerged as a particularly disturbing feature of the online discourse.
In response to the violence, the authorities imposed a prolonged internet shutdown lasting 212 days—one of the longest digitally disconnected periods in a democracy. The report concludes that the shutdown not only failed to curb harmful content being circulated but severely restricted journalists, civil society organisations and human rights defenders from exposing actual facts, documenting abuse and delivering humanitarian assistance. At the same time the internet shutdown severely affected the daily routine of the people by disconnecting online trade, access to hospitals, and educational and banking facilities.
This research is evidently an effective attempt by SAHR to assist the ground level human rights defenders in providing advocacy in handling digital communications ecosystems amidst conflict situations in the region. Through the recommendations specifically addressed to the media and civil society, technology platforms and government, SAHR firmly calls for more accountable and ethical practices targeting online disinformation, misinformation and hate speech, through stronger platform moderation, support for independent media and fact-checking initiatives, and policies that protect both security and democratic freedoms.
The publication can be accessed here.