Description:
"Since 2013, the number of reported cases of violence, particularly sexual violence,
toward children in Burma has increased dramatically. So too is this the case in Mon
State and Mon areas of Burma. HURFOM itself has seen a significant increase in the
number of cases of violence toward children received between 2013 and 2016.
However, due to the shame and stigma associated with sexual violence, as well as the
challenges faced when accessing justice in Burma?s complex, pluralistic legal system, it is
likely that the number is much higher than actually documented.
This report by HURFOM?s Women and Child Rights Project (WCRP) analyzes 20 cases of
violence toward children received from Mon State and Mon areas of southeast Burma
between December 2013 and January 2017. The types of violence ranged from rape to
human trafficking; however, in the majority of cases sexual violence was identified as the
primary motive. While HURFOM acknowledges the small size of the dataset, this report
aims to provide a platform for community perspectives on issues that they have identified
as important to them, rather than to make general conclusions regarding the
phenomenon.
While analyzing the cases, interesting patterns in how families navigated the pluralistic
legal system in Burma emerged, as well as a number of challenges they face when accessing
justice while reporting a crime involving sexual violence. Thus, this report looks not only at
individual cases, but also at the challenges villagers face when pursuing justice and the
forms of agency, both individual and collective, they use to overcome these obstacles.
This report is divided into six main sections. After the Introduction (Chapter 1) and
Methodology (Chapter 2), this report provides a basic overview of the legal and
administrative structures that deal with crime of a sexual nature. Furthermore, it provides brief examination of Burma?s international and domestic obligations to protect children.
Next, Trends in Violence toward Children (Chapter 4) are provided including types of
violence, perpetrators, and reporting chains, after which Voices of Villagers (Chapter 5) are
presented, including individual and collective forms of agency, and perspectives on the
increase in reports of sexual violence and challenges to accessing justice. Finally,
Recommendations (Chapter 6) for the Burma government, including local government and
administrative departments, the New Mon State Party (NMSP), as well as communitybased
organizations (CBOs) are provided..."
Source/publisher:
WOMEN AND CHILD RIGHTS PROJECT (WCRP) THE HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF MONLAND (HURFOM
Date of Publication:
2017-03-00
Date of entry:
2017-03-25
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
2.98 MB