Elderly Woman Repeatedly Raped by Junta Soldier in Laung Lon Township During Occupation of Kanyone Kyun Village

June 27, 2025

Laung Lon Township, Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region

HURFOM: A horrifying case of sexual violence has emerged from Kanyone Kyun village, where a Junta soldier repeatedly raped a 72-year-old woman during the military’s occupation of the village in mid-June.

According to testimonies gathered by HURFOM from local residents and eyewitnesses, the assault began after a joint column of Light Infantry Battalion Nos. 406 and 273 entered the village on June 15, reportedly to establish a temporary base. Their arrival sparked immediate fear. While many fled, over 90 villagers, including an elderly couple, were unable to escape and remained trapped under military control.

On June 16, a soldier identified only as “Phoe Chay,” believed to be around 40 years old, arrived at the couple’s home and ordered them to stay hidden beneath their house. A neighbor who witnessed the incident told HURFOM that the soldier returned several times in the following days.

Tragically, on the night of June 17, the soldier came back and raped the elderly woman three times in one night, in front of her sick and bedridden husband. He threatened to kill the husband if he resisted.

“The grandfather was unwell and couldn’t move. The grandmother, later confirmed to be 72, was too old to flee. The soldier came again on the second night and raped her repeatedly. He warned that he would shoot her husband,” a local villager told HURFOM.

Over the course of two days, the soldier reportedly raped the woman a total of five times. Traumatised and fearing for their lives, the family eventually fled to seek safety elsewhere.

The military column reportedly withdrew from Kanyone Kyun on June 25. The survivor and her family are now in hiding, receiving support from local networks. According to the Hninsi Yaung Women’s Union, a Dawei-based women’s rights organization, the woman is undergoing urgent medical treatment for both physical and psychological trauma.

“She can’t remember the exact dates of the assaults, but we believe it happened between June 16 and 23. She is extremely traumatized,” a caseworker familiar with her situation told HURFOM.

Local sources also confirmed that junta troops looted homes in the village, stealing valuables and motorcycles, and set fire to at least two houses before their departure.

This deeply disturbing case is yet another painful example of the widespread sexual violence committed by the military in areas under its control. HURFOM strongly condemns this horrific act and urgently calls on the international community to ensure justice and accountability for the military’s crimes against civilians, particularly women, the elderly, and those most vulnerable in Burma’s conflict zones. [photo: Kanyone Kyun village, Laung Lon Township]

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News