Facebook apologises for system error in translating Xi's name

YANGON • Facebook has apologised for a translation error that has caused the name of Chinese President Xi Jinping to appear as a vulgar word on its platform.

The error came to light on the second day of a visit by Mr Xi to Myanmar.

Mr Xi and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi signed dozens of agreements covering Beijing-backed infrastructure plans. But a statement about the visit published on Ms Suu Kyi's official Facebook page was littered with references to "Mr S***hole" when translated to English.

A headline in local news journal, The Irrawaddy, had also used a similar reference when it reported a dinner that was hosted for Mr Xi.

It was not clear how long the issue lasted, but Google's translation function did not show the same error.

Facebook said in a statement: "We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook. This should not have happened and we are taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again. We sincerely apologise for the offence this has caused."

The Facebook system did not have Mr Xi's name in its Burmese database and guessed at the translation, the company said. Translation tests of similar words that start with "xi" and "shi" in Burmese also produced the same rude term.

China's Foreign Ministry declined comment.

Facebook is blocked in mainland China. But it is not blocked in Hong Kong and mainland companies advertise elsewhere on the platform, making China Facebook's biggest country for revenue after the United States.

Facebook has made Burmese translation errors in the past. In a 2018 Reuters report on Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, an anti-Rohingya post advocating violence was translated into English as "I shouldn't have a rainbow in Myanmar".

REUTERS