Man arrested for attempted rape of his 17-year-old daughter in Kyar Inn Seik Kyi Township

March 22, 2019

HURFOM: A 50-year-old man from — village, Kyar Inn Seik Kyi Township, Karen State, has been arrested and detained by the New Mon State Party (NMSP) for the attempted rape of his 17-year-old daughter. The young woman reported the attack to the — village administrator who then informed NMSP authorities. It is alleged that the man has been abusing his daughter for years.

The incident occurred when the young woman, who now lives with her husband, had returned home to visit her family.

“The report that Nai S— [the father] raped his own daughter is valid. The abuse started when the girl was just 15-years-old. When the girl came home to visit her family, her father tried to rape her again. The girl defended against his attack and screamed, alerting neighbors of the attack. We’ve arrested and detained him, but we haven’t begun our investigation yet,” said Nai Raja, the Chairperson of the Kyar Inn Seik Kyi NMSP Office.

“It is not only this girl, but also her elder sister, that Nai S— has raped. We consider this a case of child rape. We’ll thoroughly investigate this case and pronounce a sentence in accordance with the law,” continued Nai Raja.

The mother of these two young women, who passed away approximately one year ago, is said to have been aware of the ongoing sexual abuse but remained silent.

Although it is not possible to determine why the girls’ mother would refrain from speaking out, it must be noted that silence — anchored in shame, stigma, and fear of victim blaming or further violence — is a common response to sexual violence in Burma.

This is the third incident of sexual violence against women and children that HURFOM has reported on since January 2019.[1] Still, it is likely that the true number of such incidents far outpaces the already troubling frequency of our reports.

As stated in Cracks in the Silence, a report produced by HURFOM’s Women and Child Rights Project, it is estimated that only 11 percent of victims of sexual violence immediately disclose of an incident to a friend or loved one without first being prompted. Even after disclosure, victims are often reluctant to report the incident to authorities.

The resolve of this young woman to report her father to the village administrator along with the general increase in the number of cases being reported in Burma may indicate that the culture of silence regarding such issues is slowly starting to change. However, until the Protection and Prevention of Violence against Women Bill has been enacted to provide women and girls with separate legal protection, the safety, security, and well-being of women throughout Burma will remain a secondary priority.

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[1] Teenage girl in Mudon Township sees rapist brought to justice months after 25-year-old perpetrator tried to silence her with compensation; Father who repeatedly raped 7-year-old daughter on the run from Kamarwat Town as police seek to press charges