Teenage Karen Women Raped and Murdered By Burmese Army – Security Council Must Take Action

The Burma Campaign UK is calling on the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in Eastern Burma, including two new cases of teenage women, one eight months pregnant, being raped and murdered by the Burmese Army, when it debates the protection of civilians in armed conflict on 26th June this month.

According to local Karen sources, and the Free Burma Rangers, the two women were raped and murdered on June 12th, by Burmese Army soldiers taking part in a new military offensive which has driven around 6,000 people from their homes. The Burmese Army and its allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, began the attacks in early June.

Nay Pay was 18 years old and eight months pregnant. Naw Wah Lah was 17 years old and had a six month old baby. They came from Kwee Law Plo village in Lu Pleh township.

“I am furious about the silence from the United Nations about these attacks,” said Zoya Phan, International Coordinator of Burma Campaign UK, and a Karen refugee who herself had to flee her village when it was attacked by the Burmese Army. “These are war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United Nations must hold the generals to account for their illegal behaviour. These women were raped and murdered because Burma’s generals know the UN will let them get away with it, just as they have got away with thousands of other rapes and murders against ethnic women and children.”

The soldiers who committed the rape serve in Light Infantry Battalion205, led by Lieutenant Colonel Than Hteh and Captain Kyi Myo Thant.

The Burma Campaign UK is calling for the British government to support a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the dictatorship in Burma.

For more information contact Zoya Phan on +44 (0)207 324 4710

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