MORE information about Burma
Military regime in Burma: A dictatorship of terror
The population of Burma continues to suffer widespread human rights abuses committed by the military regime, which first took power in 1962. The regime’s use of violence to maintain its grip on power took on a new and bloody dimension in 1988 when it answered widespread student demonstrations in favour of democratic reforms with armed force, killing thousands and wounding countless more.
In 1990, the military junta allowed Parliamentary elections to take place. Pro-democracy candidates led by Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Demcracy won a landslide victory, winning more than 80 per cent of the seat. However, the military’s leadership refused to cede power to the winning party, opting instead to arrest and harass newly elected MPs and NLD members forcing many of them into exile. In 1991, Aung San Suu Kyi’s won the Nobel Peace Prize for her selfless commitment to democracy in Burma. Of the last 18 years, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent a total of 13 under house arrest.
Today Burma’s military dictatorship continues to enforce its control through terror and brutality. The military’s violent response to peaceful pro-democracy marches led by the Burma’s Buddhist nuns and monks in September 2007 was a reminder of the military’s total disregard for human rights. Countless nuns and monks remain unaccounted for since the demonstrations were crushed and its leaders arrested. It is believed more than 1,800 political prisoners remain in detention, including Aung San Suu Kyi and two winners of Rights & Democracy’s annual John Humphrey Freedom Award, Min Ko Naing (1999) and Su Su Nway (2006).
The military’s campaign against Burma’s women: Rape as a weapon of war
As part of its ongoing efforts to maintain control over Burma’s ethnic minorities, the military regime frequently uses rape and other forms of sexual violence to instil fear and punish communities. Numerous reports by women human rights organizations provide detailed accounts of the regime’s systematic and widespread use of rape with full impunity enjoyed by its perpetrators. Victims of these crimes are left to live with the trauma and pain of their experiences and little chance of ever seeing their attackers punished.
In recent years, the military has increased its presence in areas inhabited by Burma’s ethnic minorities. Evidence is widespread of military units forcing local villages to provide labour for projects including the construction of roads and agriculture. Women forced to work on these projects are often subject to sexual violence and gang rapes by military personnel guarding these projects. Many women are recruited for the sole purpose of sexual exploitation.
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