PRESS RELEASE FROM JUBILEE CAMPAIGN U.K

July 22nd 2002

For immediate release

REPORT EXPOSES BURMESE ARMY'S SYSTEMATIC RAPE OF SHAN WOMEN

A disturbing report documenting the systematic rape of women in Shan state by the Burmese army has been published by the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) and Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN). The report, entitled, "Licence to Rape" details 173 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, involving 625 girls and women, committed by Burmese troops in Shan state, mostly between 1996 and 2001. The report makes for disturbing reading, including horrific atrocities such as the rape and burning alive of 14 year old Nang Sam Hoom and a 20 year old girl who was raped and had her breasts cut off before being killed.

SHRF and SWAN point out that the figures in the report are likely to be far lower than the reality since due to the stigma attached to rape, many women do not report incidents of sexual violence. The report reveals that the Burmese military regime is allowing its troops to systematically and on a widespread scale commit rape with impunity in order to terrorize and subjugate the ethnic peoples of Shan state. The report illustrates that there is a strong case that war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the form of systematic sexual violence by Burmese troops, have occurred and continue to occur in Shan state.

"Licence to Rape", gives clear evidence that rape is officially condoned as a 'weapon of war' against the civilian population in Shan state. There is a concerted strategy by the Burmese Army to rape Shan women as part of their anti-insurgency activities. The incidents of sexual violence described in the report were committed by Burmese soldiers from 52 different battalions. 83% of the rapes were committed by officers, usually in front of their own troops. The rapes involved extreme brutality and often torture such as beating, mutilation and suffocation. 25% of the rapes ended in death, in some incidents with the bodies of the women or girls being deliberately displayed in front of local communities. 61% were gang-rapes. Some women were raped within military bases, and there were cases where women were detained and raped repeatedly for periods up to 4 months.

The human rights group, Jubilee Campaign, has been campaigning for an end to the systematic atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan people and has so far helped to secure 3 debates in the British Parliament on this subject . Jubilee's Researcher and Parliamentary Officer, Wilfred Wong, says, " This timely, well researched and independent report does much to expose the barbaric atrocities by the Burmese army but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Countless other incidents of sexual violence against Shan women have yet to be widely reported and the use of rape as a weapon by Burmese troops is also being systematically and extensively inflicted on Karen and Karenni women as well. The Burmese regime is one of the few governments in the world today who systematically target women from particular ethnic groups for sexual violence. They must be held accountable for these war crimes and crimes against humanity. "

Jubilee Campaign is an interdenominational Christian human rights group which has worked with over 150 British Parliamentarians on human rights situations all over the world.