03/07/2007

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The widespread rape of ethnic women and girls by Burmese soldiers is a well-known and well-documented problem. Refugees International’s report, No Safe Place: Burma’s Army and the Rape of Ethnic Women focused on the problem in 2003. Since then, violations against ethnic women continue.

In Burma, rape typically occurs in conjunction with other human rights abuses such as forced labor, forced portering, forced relocation, torture, and extrajudicial executions. According to a recent report by the Karen Women’s Organization, attacks on civilians have actually increased in the past few years, and the Burmese military continues to use rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities.

Many women in Burma do not look at the nation’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, for protection, but rather flee in fear at the sight of a solider. This is particularly true for women from ethnic minority groups. The increased militarization in the ethnic states in Burma has seen a corresponding rise in rapes. Both officers and lower ranking soldiers commit rape with impunity and rapes even take place on military property.

There is also a clear link between rape and forced displacement in Burma. Many ethnic women and girls have become internally displaced or fled to neighboring countries like Thailand to seek asylum because they have been raped, or because they fear being raped. Unfortunately medical and psycho-social assistance for Burmese refugees, particularly those who have been affected by sexual violence, is often inadequate in both Burma and countries that host the refugees.

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Burma’s ruling military regime, does little to protect civilians against rape and gender-based violence perpetrated by its military. Because of the well known impunity for rape in Burma, survivors and families are very reluctant to come forward and report the crime. In the few cases where victims or their families have lodged complaints to military officials, the response has often been additional violence.

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