Mon State Experiencing Amongst the Highest Rates of Sexual Abuse by Burmese Army

According to a recently released report concerning sexual violence against women in ethnic areas, released on November 24th by the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), Mon State is of the most highly effected regions in regards to sexual violence committed against ethnic women bythe Tatmadaw (Burmese Government Army). The report’s findings were announced at the WLB’s November 24th press conference, held at the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN).

According to Daw Yein Hanpa, of the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), the regions most heavily affected by the Tatmadaw’s systematic use of sexual violence against women include Kachin, Shan, Mon and Karen states.

“Those [ethnic] areas [most heavily affected by sexual violence by the Tatmadaw], are now [experiencing] resumed fighting, and government troops have been reinforced in those areas,” said Daw Yein Hanpa.

At Tuesday’s press conference, the WLB’s released report entitled “If They had Hope, They Would Speak”, which discloses 118 incidences of rape, gang rape, and other sexual abuse of ethnic women at the hands of Tatmadaw troops, committed since 2010. Of those 118 cases, 30% were committed in Mon State, with Kachin and Shan states experiencing the largest numbers of abuse. Still, those figures are merely a fraction of the number of abuses occurring throughout the country.

According to Daw Tin Tin Aung, of the WLB, sexual violence against women in conflict areas is largely perpetrated by Tatmadaw troops, rarely by non-state armed groups.

“In general areas [of Burma], [sexual] harassment [and abuse] can take place by the Tatmadaw due to their [the women’s] mental conditions or other abuses. This happens rarely in such areas. [Sexual assault] happens often in ethnic areas because the conflict is taking place in those areas. The people living in those areas are also ethnic people, and the majority of Tatmadaw troops settling [their bases] in those areas are Barman men; so they are different from ethnic people, and they see ethnic people as their enemy. They [Tatmadaw troops] assume that those ethnic people have contacts with ethnic armed groups, so the Barman soldiers commit a lot more rapes against ethnic women,” said Ma Tin Tin Aung.

At a recent meeting with the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team, held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the WLB urged the NCCT to address issues of sexual violence perpetrated against ethnic women by the Tatmadaw at the next ceasefire talks between the NCCT and the Union Peace-Making Working Group (UPWC).

The WLB’s report, “If they had Hope, They Would Speak”, unveils cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by the Tatmadaw against women in Burma’s ethnic minority areas.