By Jar Seng / MPA
Myanmar junta’s airstrikes and artillery attacks killed 71 women in October, according to a report of the Burmese Women’s Union (BWU).
The report indicates that 63 women lost their lives in September due to the junta’s aerial and artillery attacks on civilians’ residential areas. The number of deaths has surged up in October.
Among the women killed by the junta in October, Sagaing Region saw the highest number of deaths with 25 women, followed by Rakhine State with 22 women.
A Rakhine activist from Myebon Township said, “As a Rakhine woman, I absolutely condemn the junta’s atrocities. I deeply sympathize with those who have unjustly lost their lives and with their families. The junta will eventually have to take responsibility for their actions.”
Additionally, the military has imposed blockades on transport routes, including land and sea, in Rakhine State since November 2023. Frequent airstrikes by jet fighters have resulted in the deaths of 22 women in October alone, for which the military must be held accountable, the activist added.
During this period, men, women, and children across Myanmar have suffered the impacts of war and natural disasters, with women and children experiencing physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. The activist urges relevant organizations to provide necessary assistance.
A female activist from the General Strike Committee of Nationalities (GSCN) noted, “Whether it’s from artillery or sexual exploitation, the suffering and deaths of women in this revolution are heartbreaking. Therefore, as members of the revolutionary movement, despite facing our own challenges, we must create safe spaces for women.”
After the coup, the military has reportedly committed sexual violence against women in conflict areas and detention facilities, interrogation centers, and checkpoints, according to human rights activists.
The military has unlawfully held power for over three years since the February 1, 2021, coup, with human rights violations continuing daily.
Many victims of sexual violence are afraid to speak out due to concerns about their families’ safety, prompting female activists to call on the National Unity Government (NUG) and revolutionary groups to provide support to women traumatized during the revolution.
“Although we are currently assisting women, we need to join forces, including with NUG and other women’s and revolutionary groups,” one activist said.
According to an October 6 report from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a total of 5,731 women have been detained, and 1,264 women have died during the Spring Revolution since the coup on February 1, 2021, due to the military junta and its affiliated groups.
