Myanmar’s ethnic communities suffer rape and violence

  • Published on 6/12/2007
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Written by Candace Wright

The violence towards pro-democracy protestors and the monkhood of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) in the past few months has given the international community a sense of the ongoing suffering of ethnic communities in Myanmar over several decades. Ethnic communities, including Naga and Karen people, have been brutalised and raped, and have had their villages attacked and destroyed by the military.

Inatoli Zhimomi, general secretary of the Ethnic Nationalities Organisation, Burma and North East India, describes life for Myanmar's ethnic communities as dangerous and difficult.

"In Burma, they discriminate against everyone of ethnic nationality. Naga are forced to perform cultural events for the tourists, and Naga and Karen people have been forced at gun point, en masse, to convert to Buddhism," she says.

"There is a fear or torture and ill-treatment, and women are routinely raped."

While conducting training on preventing violence against women on the Thai-Myanmar border, Inatoli Zhimomi spoke with Karen refugee survivors about their experiences. "They suffered not just rape but some were also killed," she says.

"One story that a student told me is that they [soldiers] undressed, threatened, then raped a 90-year-old grandmother who was pleading to her god to let her die instead of enduring the shame of being raped so close to the end of her life.

"Karen people have organised and are one of the strongest armed resistance groups, so the military rapes their women to intimidate them into ending their campaign for autonomy."

As well as being denied autonomy and expression of traditional culture, ethnic communities in Myanmar do not receive citizenship, preventing access to services available to citizens of Myanmar. In the remote villages there is little to no healthcare, minimal access to supplies or proper sanitation and very basic living conditions.

The Naga community was split during the partition of India and Myanmar, with people in some villages living in one country and working in another. "India and Burma's military work closely together at the border, and create a very threatening environment," says Inatoli Zhimomi. "India introduced draconian powers in the Naga territory on their side of the border, normally applied elsewhere in the country only under the highest terrorist threat. But we have been living under those conditions since the 1980s."

Australians can help the people of Myanmar

As the international media spotlight focused on Myanmar begins to fade, human rights and pro-democracy activists in the country are urging people to keep the attention of their governments firmly on their ongoing struggle.

"The UN, organisations like Amnesty International and governments need to work together to do all they can to make the military accountable for what they do," says Maung Maung Than, Myanmar activist and member of the 1988 student movement.

Inatoli Zhimomi, general secretary of the Ethnic Nationalities Organisation, Burma and North East India, agrees. "The US and EU have been outspoken on this issue and if the international community keeps pressure on Burma, in particular by way of economic sanctions such as those imposed by Australia, that is something the military will respond to."

Alison Tate, international officer for the Australian Council of Trade Unions and member of the Australia Burma Network, says people in Australia can support activists in Myanmar.

"It's about not letting this moment pass," she says. "We should all be urging the Australian Parliament to use our voice within the Asian region and, even if it is behind the scenes, drive the initiative in effecting action on Burma, supporting the UN process and creating as much coordinated political pressure on the regime as possible."

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