“The government is saying it is making reforms in the country. But women in ethnic areas are still being abused by the government’s army. This [sexual violence] should not be committed in a democratic county,” said Jessica Nhkum, joint secretary of the Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand (KWAT), a WLB member organization.
The report titled “Same Impunity, Same Pattern: Report of Systematic Sexual Violence in Burma’s Ethnic Areas” highlights the need for the Tatmadaw (Burma army) to be under the control of civilian authorities, says Jessica Nhkum.
The report documents 100 alleged cases of sexual violence committed by Burma army personnel since the 2010 elections. A figure that includes 47 gang rapes.
It also alleges that the Burma army continues to use rape as weapon in ethnic areas where conflicts between government troops and ethnic armed groups are still taking place. The report alleges that the government has repeatedly failed to take against sexual violence committed by military personnel.
“WLB’s report is good. It is important to highlight sexual violence cases when they happen in ethnic areas,” says Mi Htaw Chan, program coordinator of the Woman and Child Rights Project (WCRP).
According to Mi Htaw Chan for many years people were too afraid to speak out about the sexual abuse of Mon women perpetrated by the military. Recently people have become more willing to speak about this she said.
Mi Htaw Chan alleges that that in December 2013, a young Mon woman was raped by a soldier from the army’s Infantry Battalion No. 31 in Kyun-nye village located in Mon State Kawzer Sub-township, Ye Township. According to Mi Htaw Chan the government has not taken any action regarding this case.
WLB was founded in 1999 and is an umbrella organization consisting of 13 women’s organizations representing different ethnic groups from Burma. The organization’s aims are “to work for the empowerment and advancement of the status of women, to work for the rights of women and gender equality, to work for the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women, to work for the increased participation of women in every level of decision making in all spheres of society, to participate effectively in the movement for peace, democracy and national reconciliation”.
