Myanmar: No safe country for women

More than 10,200 people have been detained in total, including over 2,000 women

Women in Myanmar have been tortured, sexually harassed and threatened with rape in custody, according to research. Five women who were detained for protesting against a military coup in the country earlier this year say they were abused and tortured in the detention system after their arrests.

Since Myanmar’s military seized power in February, protests have swept across the country - and women have played a prominent role in the resistance movement. Human rights groups say that although the military in Myanmar (also known as Burma) used disappearances, hostage-taking and torture tactics before, the violence has become more widespread since the coup. As of 8 December, 1,318 civilians have been killed during military crackdowns on the pro-democracy movement, including 93 women, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) nonprofit human rights organisation.

At least eight of those women died while in custody, four of whom were tortured to death in an interrogation centre. More than 10,200 people have been detained in total, including over 2,000 women. Democracy activist Ein Soe May was imprisoned for almost six months - the first 10 days of which were spent in one of Myanmar’s notorious interrogation centres, where she alleges she was sexually assaulted and tortured. -(Agencies)