58 women arrested, 29 killed in March, says women’s activist group

By Admin 07 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
7 April 2023, Sittwe

The Burmese Women’s Union released a statement on April 6 indicating that 58 women were arrested and 29 were killed in the month of March due to the actions of the military junta since the coup in Myanmar.

Of them, 19 people were arrested and 17 people were killed in Sagaing Region in March, according to the statement.

From February 1, 2021, when the military seized power, to March 31, 2023, 3,307 women were arrested and 458 were killed, according to figures compiled by the Burmese Women’s Union.

“Women are insecure. If women are arrested, they are not only worried about going to jail, but also about being subjected to sexual violence,” said a woman in Yangon who was recently released after being arrested.

As a result of the military coup, women have been disadvantaged, facing economic hardship, sexual harassment, human trafficking, domestic violence, and increased insecurity.

Ma Khin Myint Kyi, a woman’s rights activist in Arakan State, said that under the regime, she was more concerned about her own safety than women’s rights.

“Many of the women arrested across the country are young and middle-aged. As a result of being arrested, women suffer a lot,” she added.

It has been more than two years since the military seized power in Myanmar, and civilian casualties during the Spring Revolution continue to rise.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 3,220 people died at the hands of the Myanmar military from the beginning of the February 2021 coup to April 6, 2023. The junta has detained a total of 21,242 pro-democracy supporters since February 1, 2021.