Jailing of Gang-raped Schoolgirls in Burma a Shame on the Region

The recent jailing of four Kachin schoolgirls in Burma who had been gang-raped by SPDC soldiers is an outrageous mockery of justice which brings shame on all regional bodies of which Burma is a member.

Early last month, the four girls, aged 14 to16, from a village south of Putao, northern Kachin State, were gang-raped by three army officers and four soldiers from a local SPDC military base. The army gave hush money to the girls and their parents and ordered them not to report the incident to police or other authorities. After news of the incident was reported by independent Burmese media, the girls were arrested and jailed.