Country: Myanmar

Group: Chin/Kuki

Date Finalized: 11-03-2021

Team: Victoria Fuller (lead), Gabriel Cardenas, Nichole Dahlen, Ann Thomas

            The Chin comprise a number of other ethnic groups which reside primarily in the Chin state of western Myanmar (Minority Rights Watch, 2017). Nearly 80 percent of Chin are Christians, with the remainder adhering to Buddhism, animistic traditions, or Judaism (Minority Rights Watch, 2017).

            The Myanmar military endorses the use of a rape as an instrument of war (European Centre for Law and Justice, n.d.). Over the past three decades, the Myanmar military has committed an increasing number of sexual assaults against Chin women; including rape, gang rape, and sexual violence designed to mock the victim’s Christian faith (Alexander, 2009; Relief Web, 2007). In the years 1993-2003, the Women’s League of Chinland reported six cases of rape against Chin women serving as Porters in the Burmese army (Alexander, 2009). In February of 2007, the Burmese military gang raped four girls. The state then imprisoned the four girls instead of the soldiers who raped them (Relief Web, 2007). In 2008, the Women’s League of Chinland reported that there have been almost 40 cases of rape by the Myanmar military against Chin women (Alexander, 2009). Victims of assault are unable to effectively pursue recourse against their attackers as mediators work to arrange marriage between the victim and rapist or the state takes punitive action against the victim (Latsi Nu, n.d.; Relief Web, 2007).

            The data quality of sexual assault targeting Chin women in Myanmar is rated 3/3 due to the number of reports submitted by international agencies and NPOs and reporting by news agencies.

Sources

  1. Alexander, A. (2009, January 28). “We are like forgotten people”. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/01/27/we-are-forgotten-people/chin-people-burma-unsafe-burma-unprotected-india.
  2. European Centre for Law and Justice. (n.d.). Religious Freedom in the Union of Myanmar. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. https://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=%2FHRBodies%2FUPR%2FDocuments%2Fsession10%2FMM%2FECLJ_EuropeanCentreforLawandJustice_Annex1_eng.pdf&action=default&DefaultItemOpen=1.
  3. Latsi Nu. (n.d.) Women’s and Girl’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Situations of Crisis. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. https://www.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=%2FDocuments%2FIssues%2FWomen%2FWG%2FReproductiveHealthRights%2FCSOs%2Flatsinuwomenagency%2Flatsinueport.docx&action=default&DefaultItemOpen=1.
  4. Minority Rights Group. (2017, August). Chin. Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/chin/.
  5. Relief Web. (2007, March 27). Myanmar: Burmese Junta Sanctions Rape of Chin Women. ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/myanmar-burmese-junta-sanctions-rape-chin-women-report.