Burmese Language
Film highlights rape by Burma army
A film released this week purports to show strong evidence that rape of ethnic women by Burmese troops is endemic, and could be a deliberate policy of the country’s military in its ongoing conflicts in the country’s border regions.
The findings supplement various reports released this year that document cases of rape by soldiers, notably the surveys carried out by the Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand (KWAT) which have found close to 40 incidents of sexual violence in the country’s war-torn northern state since June.
The film, ‘Bringing Justice to Women of Burma’, which was produced by the umbrella group Women’s League of Burma (WLB) and aired at a forum in Chiang Mai yesterday, claims that the Burmese government has ignored all UN resolutions calling for an end to violence against women.
Moreover, what qualifies as a war crime is carried out with complete impunity, and continues despite the transition to a nominally civilian government in Burma, it says.
One woman from northern Burma who was interviewed in the film describes in harrowing detail how she and others were raped by a soldier.
“I was so scared and I screamed. Then he threatened me, if you keep screaming I will punch your baby through your stomach. I could only cry while he brutally raped me. I could only cry. Not only one person, but one after another … up to four.”
Moon Nay Li, of KWAT, said that cases of rape “are becoming more and more frequent” as the military steps up its campaign to eliminate the opposition Kachin Independence Army.
A press release from the WLB urged the UN to carry out a commission of inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese military, something that critics of the government have long called for but which has yet to bear fruit.
The chances of any complaints being adequately dealt with by the newly-formed, government-appointed National Human Rights Commission are slim, said Nang Hseng Noung of the Shan Women’s Action Network, meaning that it would not take the rape cases to that body.
Tags: burma, Kachin, Karen, myanmar, rape, Shan, UN, war crimes
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Thank you Daw Khin Min Zaw.
We need more and more of these explicit revelations to jot the conscience of the populace and make more people aware of the atrocious unacceptable situation.
We are at the climax of competition between morality to preserve peace and serenity versus greed and dishonesty leading us to more violence, crime and anxiety.
Currently greed and cruelty has the upper hand. We have to change that together.
It is clear that the world’s governing bodies and governments are staffed by people with either no conscience or ability. UN charter is NOT worth the paper written on and the officials are not ther to uphold the principles.
We have to appeal directly to the people.
I also thank you KHIN MIN ZAW, the Burmese milatary have been trying to convince the world that they have changed as far as their in humanity to their own people goes. The use of rape by the Burmese miltary is a war crime and thus milatary force is required to prevent any more of abuse against women and against all the peoples of Burma. The Un has had more than enough evindece of these abuse’s over the years but they are very timmid when it comes to enforcing international law. International law is usless if all it does is sit in a book shelf at the Haig collecting dust.
How many more women are going to be raped tortured and murdred by Burmese soldiers how many more years must the people of Burma have to suffer before international law is enforced.