The Burmese Women’s Union (BWU) reports that Shan State had the highest number of women’s casualties due to military junta atrocities in July this year.
According to a BWU statement released on 6 August, 63 women were killed and 43 injured by junta violence across the country in July, with Shan State having the highest number.
Commenting on the situation, Naw Khin San Htwe, general secretary of the BWU, said: “Especially in Lashio, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Mongmit and Nawnghkio areas, the number of casualties is the highest. Especially after the second round of Operation 1027, due to the airstrikes and artillery shelling, the death toll is the highest.”
The BWU states that 22 women died in Shan State in July.
According to the BWU statement, 33 women died in armed conflicts across the country in July due to the junta’s artillery shelling, 10 were killed arbitrarily, nine from bombings, four from drone strikes, four from shootings during battles, two from being burned to death and one from rape and murder.
There were also 43 injured, with Shan State suffering the most casualties nationwide, followed by Mandalay Region and Sagaing Region in third place, the BWU reported.
Ying Leng Harn, spokesperson for the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), explains that as fighting continues in northern Shan State, help is needed to evacuate women to safe areas.
“The high number of women dying is a reality we are facing on the ground. We need to provide more protection for these women. We need to help women evacuate to safe areas more easily,” she said.
According to the BWU statement, among those killed in July, one woman was raped and killed by junta forces in the Magway Region.
The deaths of women in military conflicts across the country occur every month, and two women also died from rape and murder in May.
The BWU reports that it systematically records incidents of sexual violence against women during armed conflict, as well as deaths from heavy artillery and airstrikes, and provides the necessary support to the women affected.
Sent by NMG.