Myanmar: Rights Organizations Report Routine Rape of Rohingya Women and Girls by Security Forces
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 10:20 PM

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) have released reports documenting the systematic rape of Rohingya women and girls in Myanmar by government security forces. The reports include interviews with hundreds of survivors of rape, sexual assault, arson and murder perpetrated by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya.

More than 200,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for refugee camps in Bangladesh, including an estimated 60,000 refugees since October of 2016. Military officials in Myanmar deny the abuses and allege they are targeting Islamist insurgents in Rakhine state, home to over one million primarily Rohingya Muslims. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the reports indicate the recent level of violence is “unprecedented” and he urged the “leadership in Myanmar to bring such military operations to an end.” 

The full reports on the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar are available from the UNOHCHR and the HRW websites, respectively.

Compiled from: Robins-Early, Nick, Myanmar Security Forces Allegedly Raped And Abused Rohingya Women And Girls, The Huffington Post, World Post (February 6, 2017); Devastating cruelty against Rohingya children, women and men detailed in UN human rights report, UNOHCHR News (February 3, 2017).