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Late at night, the soldiers broke in and raped the 36-year-old mother of four. Now all three rapists have been sentenced to prison, a rare victory against the powerful Myanmar army.
The Myanmar military is described as the most powerful institution in the country. The people in the picture have nothing to do with the article. Stock Photography.
The gang rape took place in June during shootings in the woman’s hometown in Rakhine State, where the army has been fighting the local Arakan Army (AA) for almost two years. Now she hopes the conviction can give more women the courage to speak out and challenge what is described as military impunity.
– Many women have suffered the same. If he did not reveal what happened, it could lead to more, the 36-year-old man, who was given the pseudonym Thein Nu to protect the family, tells the AFP news agency.
Reporting a rape in Myanmar (formerly Burma) often carries stigma, especially if the accused belongs to the military, which is described as the most powerful institution in the country. Human rights organizations have long accused army soldiers of using rape as a weapon of war in the country’s conflict zones.
For Thein Nu, the conviction has a bitter aftertaste: The social stigma is still widespread and her husband refuses to speak to her after the army denies the crime and claims the 36-year-old made it up. Despite this, he urges other victims not to be embarrassed and dare to speak up.
– Be like me, be brave and brave, she says.
Since the verdict, several women have submitted similar stories, according to the Arakan Women Network, which helps victims with legal advice.
The three rapists are sentenced to 20 years in prison with prison terms. In a rare guilty plea, the military announced the verdict and fought for its own “transparent” investigation of the case.
It takes much more than a single case to convince us that something has changed, warns Asian Deputy Director Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch, according to AFP.
Myanmar
Myanmar (formerly Burma) is located in Southeast Asia and borders China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. The country has a population of nearly 54 million, according to 2018 estimates.
The capital is called Naypyidaw. Until 2005, the largest city in the country was the capital of Rangoon.
Burma was colonized by Great Britain in the 19th century, but became independent in 1948. The military took power in 1962 and ruled autocratically until 2010, when some democratization began. Conflicts in the Shan and Kachin states have continued since 1948.
Former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who now leads a civilian government, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for his fight for democracy, but has since come under fire for failing to stop military actions against Rohingya Muslims. .
Violence and oppression against the Rohingya people have in recent years sparked an intense wave of refugees from, above all, Rakhine state to Bangladesh.
Sources: NE, Landguiden, AFP
