Press Release by Women’s League of Burma (WLB): Speaking Truth to Power: Ending Military Impunity in Burma/Myanmar
Women’s League of Burma (WLB) is launching an influential new briefing paper and video documentary highlighting the military Junta’s widespread an
The military junta has used rape and sexual violence as weapons of war—brutal tactics to terrorize civilians, dominate ethnic communities, and suppress resistance. Following the 2021 coup, WLB and its 12 member organizations documented 963 cases of CRSV in just four years. There are also challenges such as no access to justice, Lack of social Supporting services, trauma isolation, the worsening humanitarian crisis in ongoing conflict, and reprisals and targeting of women-led organizations.
Nang Moet Moet “For over seven decades, the Burmese military has used sexual violence as a weapon of war targeting civilians and ethnic women, a brutal pattern repeated in every case they commit in impunity”.
“Burma’s legal system has never protected women, and there are many international laws and mechanisms that exist, but those mechanisms have not yet brought real action to stop violence against women,” Khin Ohmar.
Even emblematic cases—such as the 2015 rape and murder of two Kachin teachers—remain unpunished, symbolizing the ongoing erasure of women’s suffering under military rule. These atrocities are not isolated incidents; they are the result of a deliberate strategy of domination and militarized control over women’s bodies and communities. Moreover, in 2023 the Kuki woman faced gang rape by military Junta’s soldiers “The first man was tall and thin, threatened me with a long sword before raping me. The second man was short and dark-skinned, threatened me with a sword, raped me, and left saying another person would come. The third man had a pockmarked face and threatened me with a long gun before raping me" Said Survivor
“Survivors and their families want to seek justice and speak out, but threats like ‘we will do this and that to you,’ often backed by weapons, make telling the truth a heavy and dangerous burden,” Maw Pray Myar.
As women-led organizations, we refuse to be silent. Women’s League of Burma and our twelve member organizations continue to document these crimes, advocate for justice, and deliver critical support to displaced and traumatized survivors, despite severe security and funding constraints. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to pursuing transitional justice and demanding full accountability for the victims and survivors of CRSV, GBV, and SGBV. We believe that justice must extend beyond documentation to include
Thus, We call on the international community, the United Nations Security Council, ASEAN, and neighboring countries to take urgent action:
·End military impunity by referring the military junta to the International Criminal Court.
·Impose targeted sanctions and a global arms embargo to cut the junta’s access to weapons and financial resources.
·Support local, women-led organizations that are providing frontline care and services to survivors of CRSV and gender-based violence.
·Recognize and engage the legitimate democratic and ethnic resistance forces, including the National Unity Government and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations, to deliver humanitarian assistance.
·Ensure that justice mechanisms are survivor-centered, culturally appropriate, and informed by the voices of women from the ground up.
Contact: secretariat@
Scan for CRSV Briefing Paper Scan for CRSV Video Documentation