Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Sadly, a similar theme of military sexual assault


DVB reports: Burmese government soldiers continue to perpetrate sexual violence against women on a widespread scale with impunity, according to a Women’s League of Burma (WLB) report issued on 25 November, which the UN recently designated as “The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.”  The report observes:
Between the elections of 2010 and January 2014, the WLB and our member organisations documented 104 cases of sexual violence against women and girls – a number we believe to be a fraction of the actual abuses taking place.
The majority of these cases are linked to military offensives, and their widespread and systematic nature indicates a structural pattern. The use of sexual violence in conflict is a counter-insurgency strategy, and is closely tied to control over resource rich ethnic areas. 
One of the calls for reform is for civilian control over the armed forces.

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