Military Council troops are physically harassing young women in the name of security operations at checkpoints in Pindaya township of Taunggyi district of Shan state, the Shan Herald has learned.
Regime soldiers inappropriately touched female pedestrians at a Military Council checkpoint between Pindaya and Ywangan towns on January 2 nd , under the pretext of searching them, a resident in his fifties who knew about the incident, told the Shan Herald.
“When a girl arrived at the checkpoint, she was forced to get off her motorcycle. Then a soldier grabbed the girl’s breast. When the startled girl screamed, the soldier kicked her again”, he said.
The girl who was harassed by the guard soldier was only around 19 years old. She also got injuries on her leg, elbow, knee and face while falling down with the motorcycle after being kicked by the soldier.
The source told Shan Herald, “In addition to her breasts being grabbed, the girl was also kicked violently. So she fell along with her motorcycle and got injuries on her knee, elbow and face. Now she iss back home, but has a fever”.
The girl’s family went to the Pindaya police station and filed a complaint, but they did not get any help. ‘The girl’s parents and relatives went to the police station to file a complaint. But the Pindaya police station said that they can’t do anything about it’ a woman close to the girl told the Shan Herald.
A similar incident happened at the end of December at a checkpoint between Pindaya and Ywangan. Two young women who were riding a motorcycle were stopped and spoken to in a harassing manner, while their hands were held by the Military Council troops.
“ The incident happened at a checkpoint between Pindaya and Ywangan. In addition to the Military Council troops, PNO/PNA (Pa-O National Organization/Pa-O National Army) soldiers and local Pyu-Saw-Htee militia were also guarding the checkpoint. The soldiers grabbed the girls’ hands and told them they were beautiful”, a female witness told Shan Herald.
After the military coup, checkpoints along Taunggyi-Heho-Pindaya-Ywangan Road were occupied by Military Council troops, as well as PNO/PNA soldiers and local Pyu- Saw-Htee members. Sexual violence, sexual assaults and physical harassments are common and happen everywhere, the woman added.
“ There are many women who experience obscene language and insults. Some are ashamed, and do not dare to speak out about what they have experienced. So there may be many cases hidden from the public in this way”, she commented.
Since February 2021, when the Military Council forcibly seized power until now, people across the country have been very worried about travel and security, due to the violent behaviour and actions of Junta troops.
Physically harassing women is a crime that the police have the right to prosecute, and the punishment is up to 2 years in prison, or fine, or both can be imposed together. However it is unheard for the police to ever bring a case against any member of the military since the coup, and even rare before the coup unless it has been authorized by the generals.
