STATE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN BURMA

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Hydropower on the Salween River in War-Torn
Burma Energy Security Seminar Organized by
Energy Environment Foundation Bangkok by
Charm Tong Shan Womens Action Network (SWAN)

August 28, 2006
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Country Profile

• Population 54 million
• Ethnic groups 8 major - Burman, Chin, Kachin,
  Karen, Karenni, Mon, Rakhine, Shan
• Government Military Regime
• Civil War since 1948
• UN Country Status LDC

The Burmese military regime, or SPDC, (the State
Peace and Development Council) is one of the
worst human rights violators in the world
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Increased militarization

• Over the past decade, the regime has increased
  the size of its army from 180,000 to over 400,000
  troops
• In Shan State alone, there are now at least 150
  battalions, with well over 100,000 troops.

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Battalions in Shan State

Maps by SWAN
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Systematic human rights abuses committed by the
regimes troops all over Burma

• documented in numerous reports by international
  human rights organisations and the UN
• Including
• forced labour
• forced relocation
• confiscation of lands and crops
• arbitrary arrest and detention
• extrajudicial killing
• torture
• rape

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• Licence to Rape
• 173 incidents of rape involving 625 girls
• 83 by officers, in most cases in front of
  their troops.
• The rapes involved extreme brutality and often
  torture
• 25 resulted in death.
• 61 were gang-rapes
• Punishment 1/ 173

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Including areas where international NGOs and UN
Agencies have been operating
Shan villagers who have met with ICRC have been
interrogated by SPDC and some have been killed
Photos by Shan Relief Development Committee
(SRDC)
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Systematic human rights abuses causing
large-scale internal displacement
Photo credit labeled, please refer to photo
source SEARIN (www.searin.org)
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• Since 1996, over 2,500 villages totaling over
  800,000 people relocated in eastern ethnic states
  of Burma
• In Shan State alone, over 400,000 villagers
  forcibly relocated
• This is including the area where the dams is
  going to be build

Map TBBC
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Refugees

• There are several million displaced people from
  Burma in neighbouring countries
• In India estimated 70,000 unregistered refugees
• In Bangladesh
• - about 20,000 in camps
• - at least 100,000 outside camps

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• Refugees
• In Thailand
• - Over 155,000 refugees in camps
• - Approximately 1.5 million refugees with no
  access to camps - ending up in migrant
  workforce, doing the "3D" jobs dirty, difficult
  dangerous.

Map TBBC
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Roles of the ADB Burma

• The Asian Development Bank is also actively
  engaging with Burmas military regime in various
  ways, despite an official suspension of loans by
  the Asian Development Bank to Burma since 1988.
• The ADB sends consultative missions to Burma to
  give advice on macroeconomic and other sector
  reforms.
• The ADB also issues Country Assistance Plans for
  Burma. A representative of the ruling military
  regime sits on the ADBs Board of Executive
  Directors.
• The most significant method of engagement,
  however, is done through the Greater Mekong
  Sub-regional economic cooperation program.

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• 1) Mekong Power Grid Tasang Dam in Shan State
  will provide energy to the regional power
  interconnection under GMS

Map Salween Watch
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2) deep-sea port on the Andaman Sea in southern
Burma, which will be part of the East West
Economic Corridor linking with Da Nang on the
South China Sea in Vietnam
Map ADB
3) Provide a Regional Technical Assistance Grant
to Burma
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Recent MoUs Signed push forward a series of up to
four mega dams on the Salween River March 2005
Burma (MEPE) Thai (MDX) 7,110 MWs
Tasang, Shan State April 2006 Burma
Thailand 7,110 MWs
Tasang, Shan State December 2005 Burma EGAT
Hat Gyi June 2006
Burma - EGAT Chinese Sinohydro 12,700 MWs
Hat Gyi 3 other dams
on the Salween Therefore, all
agreements are now in place between the Thai and
Chinese government and the Burmese regime for
going ahead with the Salween dam plans Recent
fresh attacks on the Karen villagers and 18,000
villagers were fleeing. In Shan State, fighting
is expected to happen and more Shan refugees will
flee
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Photos by Salween Watch
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Child with only rice and chilies to eat after
fleeing Burma Army
Photo FBR
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Children hiding in field house after fleeing
Burma Army attacks
Photo FBR
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The regime has been committing systematic
human rights abuses to pave the way for the
Salween Dams, including a high incidence
of rape around the planned dam site in Shan State
Unregulated logging deforestation
Map SWAN
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Local communities voice concerns over Salween
dams

• - shows how the Salween dams will
• cause massive environmental destruction
• permanently disrupt local communities already
  ravaged by civil war
• 18,000 landmines laid down around the area

Photo KRDG
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Rivers for Life
Photo credit labeled, please refer to photo
source SEARIN (www.searin.org)
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Thank you

• Salween Watch
• www.salweenwatch.org
• Shan Womens Action Network (SWAN)
• Email kenneri_at_shanwomen.org
• Website www.shanwomen.org