Family of minors raped by abbot in Kyaukphyu demand justice

By Admin 28 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

28 January 2026, Kyaukphyu

Family members are calling on the United League of Arakan (ULA) to take decisive legal action against an abbot who allegedly detained and repeatedly raped two underage girls on Marazai Island, an area under the control of the Arakan Army (AA) in Kyaukphyu Township.

On December 25, 2025, the victims aged 14 and 16 from Shwenyoma Village were returning from a wedding in Lamanchaung Village when they visited a Buddhist monastery in Aungthayar Village.

Family members told DMG that the abbot lured the girls into a private room, detained them, and repeatedly committed acts of sexual violence throughout the day and night.

“The girls were returning from a wedding feast. The 14-year-old wanted to visit the monastery in Aungthayar as she was already acquainted with the abbot. He [the abbot] invited them in to talk, then locked them in his room. He raped them repeatedly throughout the night and only released them at 10 a.m. the following day. He threatened to kill them if they ever spoke about what happened,” the uncle of one of the victims told DMG.

The victims are residents of Shwenyoma Village. The abbot, aged 30, reportedly lived alone at the monastery.

The incident came to light after the girls returned home late, prompting their families to question them. The victims eventually broke down and recounted the ordeal. Following their disclosure, the families filed reports with local administrative authorities and the police.

Medical examinations conducted on December 29 at a ULA run hospital confirmed physical evidence of sexual assault.

Consequently, the local authorities and the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) took the abbot into custody.

However, family members expressed concern that the abbot has not yet been disrobed and remains under house arrest because seven senior Buddhist monks have officially protested his detention.

The victims come from an impoverished background with limited access to education. The families allege that the seven senior monks supporting the suspect are now pressuring them, threatening to sue the family for defaming the religion.

More than a month after the incident, the abbot has yet to face trial as a civilian.

“We urge the ULA to impose a punishment that fits the crime. We trust the ULA’s legal and judicial system. We do not want to see justice delayed or denied just because a criminal is hiding behind a religious robe,” a family member said.

Women’s rights activists have condemned the attempts by senior Buddhist monks to interfere in a criminal case.

“Using religious influence to suppress a child rape case does more harm to the religion itself. If they try to sue the victims by exploiting their poverty and lack of education under the guise of insulting religion, it appears as though the religious establishment is endorsing rape,” a local activist in Mrauk-U told DMG.

She added that the lack of clear legal protection for minors and weak judicial follow up in Arakan State has made women increasingly vulnerable. “We have seen similar cases before where no effective action was taken. If this continues, the future for women here is frightening.”

The families have filed cases under statutory rape laws with the local police and have also petitioned Justice For Arakan, the ULA’s judicial wing. A hearing involving local administrators, court officials, a local Sangha committee, and the families is scheduled for February 4.

While the ULA authorities have made arrests in previous cases of sexual violence and child rape across AA controlled areas, locals say there is still a lack of transparency regarding the specific punishments handed down to perpetrators.

Recent reports of sexual violence in the region include the rape of a 9-year-old student by a monk in Pauktaw Township in July 2025, and a similar case in Maungdaw Township in January 2026. Other tragic incidents in 2025 involved the rape and murder of a 9-year-old in Minbya and the rape of a 16-year-old in Paletwa.

Public calls are mounting for the Arakan Army’s judicial department to ensure swift and transparent justice for survivors of sexual violence across Arakan State.