Teenage girl gang raped

A 15 year old girl in southern Shan State’s Kehsi Township, was gang raped by a local based Burma Army patrol, during she and her 8 year old younger sister were on their way to look for their livestock.

At about 10:00 am on 5 August, the elder one named Nang Nang, daughter of Long Herng and Pa Hsai (not their real names) hailing from Wan Keng village, Kehsi village tract, was gang raped by some 6 soldiers from the Kehsi based Infantry Battalion (IB) # 132, while she and her sister Nawng Nawng were looking for their cows.

On that day, a 30 strong patrol from IB #132 led by Captain San Aye were patrolling around the areas in search of the rebels, and found the two girls half a mile from the village.

The captain stopped the two girls and ordered them to follow him for a while after he ordered most of his unit to go ahead, said a local villager who wishes not to be named.

“He [Captain] and his men then raped Nang Nang in turns,” she said.

The two were released after their [soldiers]’s desire were fulfilled and reached home in fear and frustration as they were threatened that they both and their family would be killed if they were to disclose the matter to anyone, the source further added.

“Even if you tell others, no one can punish us because all of you are living under the Burma Army’s rule,” she quoted the captain as saying.

However, the youngest one could not bear it any longer and told her family and other villagers about the incident happened to her elder sister, but the family and the village headman did not dare to complain for fear of further punishment by the army, she said.

On 2 August, a 20 year old woman from Shan State South’s Laikha township was also gang raped in front of her husband by the Mongkeung based Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)#514 that has been waging a four-cut campaign in areas where the Burma Army and the Shan State Army (SSA) ‘South’ fought in the mid July.

After the clash, battalions under the Mongnawng based Military Operation Command (MOC) #2 started waging a four-cut campaign ((cutting food, funds, intelligence and recruits to the armed resistance by local populace) in Kehsi, Mongkeung and Laikha townships, Shan State South.

Since then, hundreds of villagers from the areas have been suffered several human rights abuses such as sexual violence and killing.

On 3 August, a 29 year old woman in Mongkeung Township, was beheaded by the same LIB#514 after she was falsely accused of being a wife of SSA fighter.