On International Women’s Day, 110 high profile women, including Dame Judi Dench, Annie Lennox, Jo Brand, Gillian Anderson, Imelda Staunton, Julie Walters and Zoë Wanamaker, are standing with the women of Burma to end rape and sexual violence. In the pledge, the high profile women, who also include activists and politicians, have vowed to support:
- An investigation into rape and sexual violence by the Burmese military against ethnic women and girls.
- An end to impunity for rape and other forms of sexual violence in Burma.
- Support for victims.
- The inclusion of women at every political level in Burma including the peace negotiations between the Burmese government and the ethnic armed political groups.
- Burma’s Rape Law to be in line with international human rights standards to outlaw rape in marriage.
The Burmese army has used rape and sexual violence against women for decades as part of their warfare against ethnic minority groups in the country. This has been done with impunity and denial. Cases of women and girls being raped by soldiers from the government’s forces include the rape of a 12 year old girl in front of her mother, and of a disabled woman. Many of the victims were gang-raped, and many killed afterwards. This is in breach of international law, and constitutes a war crime. Reports of rape have increased in recent years. UN reports have described rape and sexual violence as “widespread and systematic”.
Although winning a landslide victory in national elections in November 2015, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, will not have control over the Burmese army when it takes office in April 2016. Therefore, there is a possibility that army rape will continue even with the new NLD-led government in place.
The new NLD-led government could initiate a domestic investigation into rape and sexual violence by the Burmese army, and make sure support for victims is available. It could also include women in peace negotiations and politics overall, as well as repealing laws, such as Burma’s rape law, which discriminate against women. However, the army could prove uncooperative with a possible investigation into rape and sexual violence.
Women’s groups in Burma, such as the Women’s League of Burma and its members, have long been highlighting the use of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese army against ethnic minority women. While there now is a possibility of a domestic investigation into this under the new NLD-led government, if the Burmese army proves uncooperative and rape and sexual violence continues, the international community must consider an international investigation to address these crimes. The international community should also offer proper support to survivors, and to support the inclusion of women in peace negotiations and at every political level in Burma.
“As a woman from Burma, I am grateful to see so many high profile women from the UK join forces with us to stop rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army,” said Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK. “The continuing use of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army is a crime, and the lack of action to stop it is a scandal.”
Members of the public are being invited to join the 110 women and stand with the women of Burma by signing the pledge to help stop rape and sexual violence in Burma. They can do so here.
The 110 women supporting the pledge
Angela Smith MP, Labour MP
Anna Roberts, Burma Campaign UK
Annie Lennox OBE, Singer
Baroness Bakewell DBE, Labour Peer
Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville MBE, Liberal Democrat Peer
Baroness Berridge, Conservative Peer
Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Coussins, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Cox, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Deech DBE, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Flather DL, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Golding, Labour Peer
Baroness Goudie, Labour Peer
Baroness Gould of Potternewton, Labour Peer
Baroness Harris of Richmomd DL, Liberal Democrat Peer
Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, Labour Peer
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon QPM, Labour Peer
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBE, Conservative Peer
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, Green Party Peer
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead, Labour Peer
Baroness Lister of Burtersett CBE, Labour Peer
Baroness Mallalieu QC, Labour Peer
Baroness Meacher, Crossbench Peer
Baroness Nye, Labour Peer
Baroness Sharp of Guildford, Liberal Democrat Peer
Baroness Stedman-Scott OBE DL, Conservative Peer
Baroness Thornton, Labour Peer
Baroness Uddin, Non-affiliated Peer
Baroness Warnock DBE, Crossbench Peer (retired June 2015)
Baroness Wheatcroft, Conservative Peer
Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party MP
Carolyn Harris MP, Labour MP
Catherine West MP, Labour Shadow Foreign Minister
Charlotte Leslie MP, Conservative MP
Cheery Zahau, Chin activist
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary
Cilla Black OBE*, Singer, TV-presenter
Dame Janet Suzman DBE, Actor
Dame Judi Dench CH, DBE, FRSA, Actor
Debbie Stothard, Altsean-Burma, The International Federation for Human Rights
Diane Abbott MP, Labour MP
Dr Cynthia Maung, Mae Tao Clinic
Fern Britton, TV-presenter
Fiona Bruce MP, Conservative MP
Fiona O’Donnell, Former Labour MP
Frances O’Grady, Trade Union Congress, General Secretary
Gillian Anderson, Actor
Hannah Bardell MP, Scottish National Party MP
Heidi Alexander MP, Labour MP
Helen Goodman MP, Labour MP
Helen Hayes MP, Labour MP
Honor Blackman, Actor
Hseng Moon, Shan Women’s Action Network
Imelda Staunton CBE, Actor
Jessica N-Hkum, Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
Jo Brand, Comedian
Jody Williams, Nobel Women’s Initiative – Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997
Julia Marip, Women’s League of Burma
Julie Walters CBE, Actor
Karin Valtersson, Burma Campaign UK
Kate Hollern MP, Labour MP
Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour MP
Khin Ohmar, Burma Partnership
Khon Ja, Kachin Peace Network
Lorraine Kelly OBE, TV-presenter
Margaret Ritchie MP, Social Democratic & Labour Party MP
Margot James MP, Conservative MP
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Actor
Marie Rimmer MP, Labour MP
Mary Creagh MP, Labour MP
Maureen Lipman CBE, Actor
Maw Moe Bu, Karenni activist
May Sabe Phyu, Kachin Peace Network
Meg Hillier MP, Labour (Co-op) MP
Moon Nay Li, Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
Naomi Long, Former Alliance MP
Naw K’Nyaw Paw, Karen Women’s Organisation
Naw Wah Ku Shee, Karen Women’s Organisation
Nicky Gavron AM, Labour London Assembly Member
Rachael Maskell MP, Labour (Co-op) MP
Ronni Ancona, Actor
Rosalinn Zahau, Chin Human Rights Organisation
Rt Hon Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Blackstone, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Corston, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Hughes of Stretford, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Labour Peer
Rt Hon Caroline A Spelman MP, Conservative MP
Rt Hon Dame Joan Ruddock, Former Labour MP
Rushanara Ali MP, Labour MP
Sandra Osborne, Former Labour MP
Sappho Dias, Burma Justice Committee
Sarah Champion MP, Labour MP
Sarah Parish, Actor
Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour MP
Sheila Reid, Actor
Soe Soe Nwe, Women’s League of Burma
Susanna Hla Hla Soe, Karen Women Empowerment Group
Tin Tin Nyo, Burmese Women’s Union
Val McDermid, Author
Valerie Vaz MP, Labour MP
Vera Baird QC, Police and Crime Commissioner – Northumbria
Victoria Roberts, Chair, Burma Campaign UK
Victoria Wood CBE, Comedian
Virginia McKenna OBE, Actor
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, Burma Campaign UK
Yasmin Qureshi MP, Labour MP
Yoko Ono, Artist
Zoë Wanamaker CBE, Actor
Zoya Phan, Burma Campaign UK
*Signed the petition before she died in August 2015