Burmese Army Opens its Doors to Women Reporter: Banyol Kong Janoi/ Maung Myo Title: Burmese female

army Date: 18/11/2013 INTRO Are you a single woman between the ages of 25 and 30? If the answer is yes, Burmas military may be looking for you. For the first time in 50 years, the Burmese army has started recruiting female cadets. However, Human Rights Watch has warned that female recruits may face sexual abuse or harassment given the armys abysmal human rights record. But as Banyol Kong Janoi reports, this hasnt stopped women from applying. TEXT A recent ad in the state-run newspaper is openly recruiting female cadets for positions in the army. The female candidates must be single and between 25 and 30 years old. 23-year-old Ma Phyu believes she will get the job. Ma Phyu clip1 (Female/ Burmese). This is the first time that women can get a position in the army. Theres tight competition, but Im very interested. They will also give some money, a salary. Once candidates are selected, they will be assigned for duty in different places. Ma Phyu is not her real name. She prefers to use an alias because shes worried that talking to the media might jeopardise her chances of getting into the army. In the past, women could only apply as nurses. Now, the army is recruiting women for senior positions. They wont be sent into combat though. May Sabe Phyu, from the NGO, Gender Equality Network, welcomes the decision. May clip1 (Female/Burmese) Now, even a small number of women are able to join up, its a positive sign that our country is on the road to reform. Every candidate must apply to a military command office in Yangon. For this 22-year-old applicant, the army is already in her blood.

Woman 1 (Female/ Burmese) All of our family members are in the military my grandfather, father and now my younger brother. Id be very proud to be an army officer. Now theyre calling for positions in the army, so Ive come to apply. SFX: Sound of military anthem: The Burmese military has controlled the country for more than 30 years and has an abysmal human rights record. including widespread rape of women in conflict areas. SFX: Sound of people in the Refugee camp in Kachin State The human rights group Kachin Free Burma recently reported the rape of a 15-year-old girl and her mother by members of the military in Kachin state. International watchdog Human Rights Watch has also warned that given the armys record, female recruits could become a target for sexual abuse or harassment. But this doesnt seem to stop women from applying. One candidate who comes from a military family says some 10 thousand women have applied to join the army so far. But no official record is available. Local rights groups are pushing for greater protection for female soldiers. U Aung Myo Min is the director of the human rights education organisation Equality Myanmar. U Aung clip 1 (Male/Burmese) We have to make sure that there will be laws to protect women from sexual harassment in military units. Otherwise, regardless of the positions these women take up, men might not respect them just because theyre women. With no clear rules and regulations, there will be sexual harassment on the ground. Many young people in Burma have grown up with a distrust of the military.and it was the younger generation that were behind many of the democracy uprisings against the military government. But Ma Phyu believes it is all in the past. Ma Phyu clip 2 (Female/Burmese) I know whatever the previous government has done may affect Thein Seins current government. The same applies to this government.whatever it does will have an impact on the next government. But I dont take this personally. If we do well in the future, we will be fine. For Asia Calling, this story was produced by Banyol Kong Janoi and Maung Myo in Yangon.