While the Myanmar army has continued fierce military offensives in Shan State, its troops have been guilty of rape and conscripting women as porters at gunpoint, according to a report released by the Palaung Women's Organization (PWO) on May 6.
According to the report, thousands of people in Palaung areas have fled their homes due to attacks and human rights abuses that have occurred since the Myanmar army, or Tatmadaw, renewed military activity against the Shan State Army-North, Kachin Independence Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army in the region over the past four months.
“Women have been raped, and young girls forced at gunpoint to guide and porter for Burmese [Myanmar] troops. Villagers have been killed by landmines while tied up and forced to work as porters," the PWO report says.
Most recently, two women from Yay Pone village in northern Shan State, were raped by Myanmar soldiers on April 19 and 20, the report states.
One villager from Yay Pone said to the PWO: “It is very difficult for the victims to speak out about rape. They were threatened by the soldiers not to tell anyone, so the rest of the community is scared. It is very dangerous for us to speak out.”
Another villager from Yay Pone village echoed his neighbor's fears: “There are a lot of dangers and threats in our village since the Infantry Battalion 502 has been based here. These soldiers have forced us to build their camps and they disturb us every day. The rape cases have filled everyone with fear. Our livelihood is tea-farming but we daren’t let our daughters go to the tea farms any more. These soldiers could rape again.”
