Photo: KNU
Mizzima
Residents of southeast Myanmar are facing a worsening trajectory of complete and utter disregard for civilian life by the junta, according to advocacy group the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
The revelations come in the second update of HURFOM’s “Voice Up” series, which provides a gendered overview of the human rights situation in target areas of Southeastern Burma, including Mon State, Karen State, and the Tanintharyi Region. The report covers violations against women and children who have been impacted by the junta’s ongoing attacks against civilians between March and May 2024.
According to HURFOM, between March and May in southeastern Myanmar at least twenty women were injured, sixteen were killed, and eighteen were arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully detained.
Several of those were killed in their homes by indiscriminate junta gunfire. Landmines also continue to pose a devastating risk that robs innocent people of their mobility and freedom of movement.
On the morning of 11 March, in Zahar Village, Dawei Township, Daw Hnin Mu, age 60, stepped on a landmine while tending to her garden and had to have her right leg amputated.
HURFOM says that this incident is just further evidence of how people in southeastern Myanmar and across the country are deprived of their everyday rights and freedoms.
Nonetheless, women remain steadfast and unwavering in their commitment to see a democratic Burma that includes gender equality, according to HURFOM.
It says that their voices must be amplified across all political and social spaces to ensure their participation goes beyond tokenism and translates to meaningful change, because women are among the majority of those who have been displaced and suffered immensely at the hands of a brutal, power-hungry regime which has failed to steal their spirit.
HURFOM also urges the international community to act swiftly to respond to women’s challenges and fund their efforts as long-time, reliable providers in their communities. Their roles as leaders have transcended gender norms and dispelled harmful gender stereotypes.
HURFOM believes that recognition of their bravery must extend to advocacy for protection pathways and transitional justice. Donors must also end long-time funding barriers and support their leadership and organizing with localized approaches.
Women continue to spearhead change, respond quickly to crises, and resist injustice, even during deeply challenging times. The second issue of this report is indicative not only of their struggles but also of their unwavering perseverance and determination.
HURFOM was founded by exiled pro-democracy students from the 1988 uprisings, recent activists, Mon community leaders, and youth. Its primary objective is to restore democracy, human rights, and genuine peace in Burma. HURFOM is a non-profit organization, and all its members are volunteers with a shared vision for peace in the country.
