Mizzima-Apr 24
On 23 April, the Network for Human Rights Documentation–Burma (ND-Burma) releases a new briefing paper entitled, “The Enlistment of Women: Gendered Impacts of Forced Conscription by the Military Junta”. The paper highlights ND-Burm’s grave concerns about the forced conscription of women into the junta’s armed forces. The text of the accompanying press release for the paper is as follows. ND-Burma is alarmed by the regime’s actions to not only illegally and violently force young men to join the military but also to engage in recent activities that include the forced enlistment of women. Our latest research finds that women face immense risks in junta custody, and the dangerous attempts to make them fight on the battlefield present additional risks that undermine their safety and security. Despite the Burmese military claiming that women would not be enlisted following the enactment of the People’s Military Service Law, registration for women between the ages of 18 and 27 began at the start of the year, prompting fears and uncertainty. The junta’s forced conscription is seen as the latest attempt to distract from their losses on the battlefield and the many soldiers who have defected from their ranks and battalions. ND-Burma members are concerned about the safety and security of young women and girls. The gendered impacts of forced conscription have been catastrophic across various communities in Burma, where mothers, daughters, sisters and even pregnant women have been separated from their families to be enlisted. In Southeastern Burma, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) reported that women forced to serve under the junta have begun training in Kyaikto township, Mawlamyine. In the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), hundreds of women fled to liberation areas after the announcement of the fifth batch of recruitment. Among the many human rights violations women face if forcibly conscripted include human trafficking, displacement, sexual exploitation, trauma and distress, sexual violence and others. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence collected by women-led civil society organizations, which makes clear that misogyny and violent behavior are tolerated and excused by the military junta. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that the forced conscription effort must be met with intervention by the international community to ensure that no lives are lost or harm is inflicted upon the men and women compelled to fight in a war brutally imposed by the Burmese Army. Read more at:
