Rape incidents have been on the rise in Arakan State — including two cases of child sexual assault this month alone — prompting human rights activists and local youth to demand firm action against perpetrators.
On 16 March, a toddler just over two years old was raped and murdered in Maungdaw Township. The suspect, a boy aged just over 13, reportedly attempted to hide the victim’s body.
Earlier this month, on 3 March, an eight-year-old girl in Pauktaw Township was raped by a man in his 40s identified as U Tun Aung Chay. Local residents say the suspect remains at large.
Youth activists and human rights campaigners are urging authorities not to grant leniency or hand down reduced sentences for such crimes.
The Arakan Army (AA) should handle cases like this properly. Someone over 10 committing rape is completely unacceptable. At that age you should still be living as a child — to assault a victim and try to bury the body is an act of extreme cruelty. No matter how young the perpetrator is, there must be punishment,” said a young woman from Kyauktaw Township.
There are growing concerns that a lack of effective prosecution could lead to further incidents.
A young woman from Mrauk-U added that child rape is something the entire community cannot accept, and to prevent such incidents from increasing, sentences should be passed in front of the public.
“Child rape is disgusting act, so the perpetrator should be given a deserving punishment. I think it should be best to execute such people so that it never happens again. On top of that, offenders should be publicly named and shamed.” she said.
Victims of rape suffer lasting psychological and physical trauma and face social exclusion, making it hard for them to move forward with their lives.
Ko Nyan Lin, a local resident from Mrauk-U, said that social exclusion only adds to the harm done to victims, and that communities need to stand behind them instead.
“This is something that should concern all of us, and we all need to stand together, offer support, and protect those affected. People tend to look away as long as it hasn’t happened to them — but that only allows these incidents to grow. I urge everyone not to turn a blind eye. We also need to provide sexual education and hand out pamphlets,” he said.
In AA-controlled areas of Arakan State, rape incidents are becoming more frequent, but the legal action taken remains weak. The public has begun calling out the lack of transparency.
Human rights activists point out that firm action must be taken to put a stop to sexual violence, and that sexual education programs need to be rolled out more widely.
Shin Tun San, a women’s rights activist from Arakan State, said: “Parents need to make sure they are talking to their children about what to do and what to avoid in these situations. If we can bring young people together in villages to openly discuss these issues — with activities that include both adults and children — I think it would go a long way in minimizing such cases.”
The Arakan Army, which controls most of Arakan State, has established a revolutionary government and has begun building out its administrative and judicial structures.
However, crimes including theft, robbery, murder, and rape continue to be reported in Arakan Army-controlled areas, and the judicial department of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government has drawn criticism over how it handles such cases.
DMG