On the 100th International Women’s Day yesterday, Burmese women refugees in New Delhi, India decried the lack of women’s rights and the unabated oppression on women in Burma by the military junta.
“In Burma we are not allowed to observe this day,” said the Women’s League of Burma (WLB) in its statement yesterday.
About 100 Burmese refugees based in New Delhi participated in a protesting meeting at Jantar Mantar Park and demanded that the junta release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and bring a halt to repression on women, especially in war zones, imprisonment and systematic oppression.
“Today is the day for all women to stand and fight together for their rights and show their ability,” said Tin Tin Aung Chairman of WLB in India.
We are protesting because we want all women in Burma not to continue to be silent and suffer the oppression of the junta but stand up against it,” she told Kachin News Group.
People in Burma are struggling against the repression of the military rulers. However women face the most abuse because of their physical weaknesses and gender, she said adding that “Ethnic women are raped by Burmese troops but no action is ever taken by the regime,” said Tin Tin Aung.
In Kachin State Northern Burma, rapes are frequent on ethnic Kachin girls by Burmese soldiers but apart from some compensation to the victim no action is taken against the rapists.
On July 27, 2008, Kachin schoolgirl, Nhkum Hkawn Din (15) was gang raped and killed by Burmese Army soldiers in Bhamo (or Manmaw in Kachin) district and in 2007 February, four school girls between 14 and 16 years were raped by soldiers from Infantry Battalion No. 138 at Puta-O in Kachin State. The case was closed with 300,000 Kyat (US$299) as compensation.
Lum Nan, coordinator of Burmese Women Delhi (BWD) said, “Around Burma, women are the main target of human trafficking and are raped.”
“We need to promote awareness for women inside and outside Burma to live with dignity and that is why we are celebrating women’s day,” she added.
WLB has urged the United Nation Security Council to “set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the crimes committed by the Burmese junta,” for trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC), said the statement.
