[Global Focus] Female Torture and Ethnic Minority Massacres... When Will Myanmar's Cry End?

Detained Without Protest
Interrogation Includes Sexual Abuse, Torture, Rape
Government Calls Repeated Exposures "Fake News"

Arson in Minority Areas with Strong Resistance
Continuously Burning Empty Houses to Remove Shelter
Democratic Figures Taken Hostage and Burned Alive

Shameful Life Sentence-Level Charges Amid International Indifference
Military Overturns Verdict in a Day and Displays Force

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "One day, I was arrested while making a banner to take to an anti-military protest. I was loaded into the back seat of a van and transported for a long time before being taken to an interrogation center."

This is how the six-month imprisonment of a female democracy activist in Myanmar began. The first 10 days at the notoriously brutal interrogation center are memories she never wants to recall. The various abuses and torture left indelible scars.

She entered the interrogation center blindfolded. The torturers bombarded her with numerous questions as soon as she was seated. If her answers were unsatisfactory, they beat her mercilessly with bamboo sticks. They persistently asked detailed questions about her sexual life. They even threatened her, saying, "Do you know what happens to women who come here? They are raped and then killed."

After being sexually assaulted while blindfolded, she was finally able to remove the blindfold. The torture continued afterward. The torturers demanded she reveal the contact information of her acquaintances. When she remained silent, they forcibly opened her mouth and pushed a loaded gun inside.

Women Leading Protests Left Maimed by Torture

Five women who were arrested and detained earlier this year for protesting the military coup recently revealed such abuses through BBC and other outlets. In Myanmar, a Buddhist country with strong patriarchy, young women have stood at the forefront of the protests. The first victim of the military coup protests was a 20-year-old woman. Since the coup, these women have been endlessly subjected to sexual abuse, torture, and threats of rape. A researcher from the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated, "Military sexual abuse can occur anywhere," adding, "It happens in temporary detention centers, military barracks, and abandoned public buildings."

A Myanmar lawyer representing many female victims said, "There are women who were arrested even though they did not participate in protests," adding, "She kept insisting that she did not join the protests, but the torturers ignored her." This woman lost consciousness after the torturers mercilessly beat her shins with iron bars. She was later sent to another interrogation center, where a torturer harassed her by saying, "If you have sex with me, I will release you." Although these revelations by female democracy activists have sparked related testimonies, the Myanmar government dismissed them as "fake news."

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) in Myanmar, as of the 11th, a total of 1,329 people have died during the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. Nearly 100 of them were women; at least eight died in detention cells, and four died during torture at interrogation centers. The total number of detainees reached 10,889, of whom more than 2,000 are women.

On October 29th, houses were burning in Tandalan, Chin State, Myanmar. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Arson Against Ethnic Minorities Forming Militias

It has been 317 days since the military coup occurred in Myanmar on February 1. The most severely affected are socially vulnerable groups such as women and ethnic minorities. Despite facing threats to their lives and losing their families and homes over the past year, they have not hesitated to fight against the ruthless military violence.

Tan Da Lan in Chin State, a representative ethnic minority area in Myanmar, has seen more than a quarter of its region destroyed by indiscriminate military bombings and fires. Chin State is a region with strong resistance against the military, and the military repeatedly commits arson to prevent anti-military forces from hiding in vacant houses in the area to avoid arrest.

The Chin State Civil Defense Force (CDF), an anti-military militia, told local media Myanmar Now on the 8th, "Since the coup forces first attacked in September, they have set fires 12 times." About 10,000 residents of Tan Da Lan fled early after the coup forces' first attack in September. However, the military has continued burning the vacant houses for months. According to the CDF, so far, 2,000 houses, four churches, and a high school in 548 villages have been completely destroyed. The coup forces killed a pastor who tried to extinguish the fire and cut off one of his fingers.

In the central Sagaing region, where battles between coup forces and other anti-military groups have occurred, 11 charred bodies of residents were found on the 7th. According to local media and witnesses, the coup forces tortured hostages and then burned them alive. One witness said, "The coup forces brutally killed everyone they found," adding, "The soldiers severely beat them until just before they died, tied their hands behind their backs, and then burned them." Among the 11 deceased, five were youths under 18, with the youngest victim being 14 years old. They were democratic activists who helped the civilian army and were also volunteers in their villages before the coup.

Atrocities Continue Amid International Indifference

The Myanmar military continues its atrocities in silence despite domestic and international condemnation. UN spokesperson St?phane Dujarric recently said, "We strongly condemn the violence by Myanmar military authorities. Those involved must be held accountable," but the military is instead continuing heinous acts in anti-military strongholds.

Despite Myanmar’s extreme situation, the international community has failed to take any practical action, leaving the "Spring of Myanmar" uncertain. Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbol of Myanmar’s democratization, was sentenced to four years in prison on the 6th for charges of incitement and violating COVID-19 prevention measures. This sentence was the first court ruling against Suu Kyi since the military coup, serving as a barometer for the military government's intentions regarding her future treatment.

Besides these two charges, Suu Kyi faces about ten other accusations, including bribery and leaking state secrets. Among them, violations of the Official Secrets Act and Anti-Corruption Law carry sentences of 15 years or more. If the maximum sentences for all charges are applied, she could face over 110 years in prison. Considering Suu Kyi is 76 years old this year, this is effectively a life sentence. Former President Win Myint, a longtime political ally of Suu Kyi, was also sentenced to four years on the same charges.

The military did not hesitate to publicly exert influence over the rulings against those they viewed as obstacles. After Suu Kyi’s sentence was announced, Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader and Commander-in-Chief, suddenly announced on state TV that the sentences for both individuals would be reduced to two years as a form of pardon. This announcement came less than a day after the Myanmar court handed down the four-year sentence. This openly acknowledged that the military, not the judiciary, is at the center of the trials, starkly revealing the grim reality Myanmar has faced for nearly a year.