Statement of the Women’s League of Burma on the Current Political Situation in Burma

Women’s League of Burma (WLB) | October 31, 2017

The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) is very concerned at the current deteriorating political situation in Burma, which is threatening progress towards sustainable peace and the federal democratic union demanded by the people.

The Tatmadaw has been continuing to launch heavy offensives in Kachin State and Northern Shan State since 2011 and it has been more aggressive after the second Panglong national conference again. These offensives have caused the death and injury of innocent local villagers, and led to internal displacement of thousands more people in these areas.

At the same time, the Tatmadaw has since August 2017 been renewing its “clearance” operations in northern Rakhine State, first begun in October 2016. On the pretext of threats to national sovereignty, security forces have carried out large scale killing, destruction of property and other violations against local communities, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to Bangladesh and also thousands to become internally displaced in Sittwe and other areas. WLB is especially concerned at the security of the women and children among the displaced, and particularly the health of pregnant women.

Widespread propaganda is inflating the threat of “terrorism” in Rakhine State to fuel religious and racial extremism. This is creating fear, insecurity and hatred among different communities.

WLB believes that this violence has been deliberately created and fuelled by certain groups who do not want sustainable peace in Burma, and who intend to obstruct and delay the ongoing peace process.

The military offensives, violence and human right violations, including rape and sexual violence, in the ethnic areas are continuing with impunity. Moreover, there have been increasing restrictions on human right activists, freedom of expression, and political rights. WLB analyzes that the violence is intended to create more threats and obstacles for the elected NLD government. WLB has zero tolerance for this violence and the serious human right violations, which are obstructing the democratic process and peace process.

WLB strongly condemns these attempts to fuel the armed conflict and conflict between different ethnic and community groups, to destabilize the democratic government.

WLB condemns the targeting of women in the conflict, and particularly the violence being inflicted on women and girls in northern Rakhine State.

WLB also urges the parliament, the current government and other stakeholders to call for changing of the 2008 constitution towards a federal democratic union of Burma.