
Audio By Carbonatix
Facebook has apologised for translating Chinese President Xi Jinping's name from Burmese to English into an obscenity on its platform.The translation gaffe came to light on the second day of Mr Xi's state visit to Myanmar.On Saturday, Mr Xi met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi to enhance bilateral relations.In Burmese Facebook posts about their meeting, Mr Xi's name in English was translated erroneously.His name appeared as "Mr Shithole" in Facebook posts shared on the official accounts of Ms Suu Kyi and her office.
A translation error appeared on the official Facebook page of the office for Myanmar's State CounsellorFacebook addressed the mishap in a statement on Saturday, blaming a "technical issue" for the mistranslation."We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook," said Andy Stone, a spokesman for Facebook. "This should not have happened and we are taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again."Burmese is the official language in Myanmar, where it is spoken by two-thirds of the population.Facebook admitted that Mr Xi's name had not been inputted into the database that translates Burmese into English.
President Xi visited Myanmar to strengthen bilateral ties with the countryIn instances where data for a word is missing, Facebook's system guesses the translation, using similar syllables to replace it, the company said.Translation tests of similar words that start with "xi" and "shi" in Burmese also produced "shithole", it added."We are aware of an issue regarding Burmese to English translations on Facebook, and we're doing everything we can to fix this as quickly as possible," Mr Stone added in the statement.As of Sunday morning, the English translation function did not appear to be working on the Burmese posts of official Facebook pages belonging to Ms Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government.There were reports that coverage of the gaffe was censored in China, where the flow of information is controlled by the government.In Myanmar, President Xi has sought to strengthen political and economic ties with the country.During the two-day trip, lucrative infrastructure deals were jointly signed by Mr Xi and Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the State Counsellor of Myanmar.The trip comes a month after Ms Suu Kyi was accused of "silence" over alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.
A translation error appeared on the official Facebook page of the office for Myanmar's State CounsellorFacebook addressed the mishap in a statement on Saturday, blaming a "technical issue" for the mistranslation."We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook," said Andy Stone, a spokesman for Facebook. "This should not have happened and we are taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again."Burmese is the official language in Myanmar, where it is spoken by two-thirds of the population.Facebook admitted that Mr Xi's name had not been inputted into the database that translates Burmese into English.
President Xi visited Myanmar to strengthen bilateral ties with the countryIn instances where data for a word is missing, Facebook's system guesses the translation, using similar syllables to replace it, the company said.Translation tests of similar words that start with "xi" and "shi" in Burmese also produced "shithole", it added."We are aware of an issue regarding Burmese to English translations on Facebook, and we're doing everything we can to fix this as quickly as possible," Mr Stone added in the statement.As of Sunday morning, the English translation function did not appear to be working on the Burmese posts of official Facebook pages belonging to Ms Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government.There were reports that coverage of the gaffe was censored in China, where the flow of information is controlled by the government.In Myanmar, President Xi has sought to strengthen political and economic ties with the country.During the two-day trip, lucrative infrastructure deals were jointly signed by Mr Xi and Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the State Counsellor of Myanmar.The trip comes a month after Ms Suu Kyi was accused of "silence" over alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Ghana Sports Fund administrator urges patience and support for Black Stars after Croatia defeat
53 minutes -
Wesley Girls’ High School launches 190th anniversary celebrations with legacy projects
1 hour -
NPP questions government’s refurbished locomotives, demands transparency over railway acquisition
2 hours -
GJA calls for dedicated defamation law to protect journalists and clarify media litigation
4 hours -
Powerful individuals using defamation suits to silence journalists – GJA General Secretary
4 hours -
Lack of defamation law leaves journalists vulnerable to intimidation lawsuits – Zakaria Tanko
4 hours -
10 years. One stage. Countless lives transformed
5 hours -
Rising defamation suits are crippling investigative journalism in Ghana — GJA
5 hours -
Adwoa Safo petitions Attorney-General to move shooting case to High Court over jurisdiction concerns
6 hours -
Uganda’s Daily Monitor, NTV forced off air after army chief orders closure
7 hours -
Otumfuo urges pharmacists to uphold standards as Pharmaceutical Society marks 90 years
7 hours -
Ghana’s leading businesses honoured at 3rd Ghana Outstanding Business Achievement Awards
7 hours -
All set for Joe Mettle’s Praise Reloaded 2026 at Accra Sports Stadium
8 hours -
Litina Travel’s Made-in-Ghana World Cup Expo draws hundreds in Boston
9 hours -
A time for everything: A case against mixing spirituality with work performance
9 hours