The Women’s League of Burma welcomes UN blacklisting of Burmese Tatmadaw for

sexual violence

Date: April 25, 2018

The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) welcomes the release on April 16, 2018, of the
UN Secretary General’s report on conflict related sexual violence, which blacklists the
Burmese Tatmadaw for crimes of sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls1.

Women living in remote ethnic areas of Burma have for decades suffered the daily
threat of sexual violence from the Burmese Tatmadaw. WLB strongly condemns the fact
that Burmese Tatmadaw troops are continuing to commit human rights violations,
including rape, with impunity in ethnic areas.

Despite the ongoing peace process, now led by the NLD government, the Burmese
Tatmadaw has continuously been launching fierce military offensives in ethnic areas,
most recently in Sumprabum, Waingmaw and Tanai in Kachin State, and in Kutkhai,
Northern Shan State. Fighting has also resumed in Karen State. As a result, local people
have suffered grave human rights violations, and been forced to leave their homes; and
women have suffered brutal rape and torture. 2

WLB has continuously been calling for investigation and action against the systematic
sexual violence committed by the Burmese Tatmadaw in ethnic areas until now.
According to WLB documentation, 123 women and girls were raped, including some
murdered, by the Tatmadaw from 2010 to 2015. Justice and truth are still lacking for

1
https://www.undispatch.com/myanmar-armed-forces-blacklisted-by-un-for-committing-sexual-violence-against-rohingya/
2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCXHR5bjM6g
these victims of sexual violence.3 Most recently, the Shan Human Rights Foundation
reported that a 73-year-old woman was brutally raped by the Burmese Tatmadaw on 2
April, 2018 at Mong Phyak, Eastern Shan State.4

The Burmese Tatmadaw has been able to commit these crimes with impunity due to
the failure of the domestic legal system. WLB therefore calls urgently for action to be
taken under international law against the Tatmadaw for their crimes.

Contacts:

Lway Poe Ngeal +95 9450029082

Moon Nay Li +66 855233791

3
http://womenofburma.org/same-impunity-same-pattern-report-of-systematic-sexual-violence-in-burmas-ethnic-areas/
4
http://www.shanhumanrights.org/eng/index.php/350-brutal-rape-of-73-year-old-woman-by-burma-army-soldier-in-mong-phyak-highlights-
vulnerability-of-women-in-militarized-eastern-shan-state