The Tatmadaw's Use of Rape

“The military is again using rape as a weapon. If you rape, you not only destroy a woman, you also intimidate their fathers and brothers, so it's a huge win for them… And they are not afraid to use it, because they have been doing it for a long time, and they have never been held accountable.”

The Tatmadaw has long hid its cowardice and inefficiency through acts of brutality and inhumanity, using the smokescreen of fear tactics as a means of pretending to be more formidable enemies than they actually are. Rather than looking for a fair fight, their leadership intentionally seeks out conflicts that not only they know they will win, but which will also terrorize the surrounding population into submission.

In my recent podcast interview with Marlar, a Burmese scholar on gender roles, she notes the intentional strategy employed by soldiers to rape indiscriminately, which has been carried out especially in ethnic areas. Doing so not only forever harms the woman, but also weakens and shames her brothers and fathers, thus helping to neutralize their enemy before a battle has even begun. On the flipside, by ordering drugged up child soldiers to participate in the rape, it is a way to bring them into their mad fraternity, brainwashing them to see their small armed group as needing to rely only on one another and justifying all cruelty against the civilian population.

The silence and inaction of the international community for decades, and especially today, has been an implicit sign that they may continue their actions with impunity and without fear of consequence.

To listen to the full interview with Marlar, as well as hear her thoughts on the current crisis in Myanmar, check out "Episode #70: Towards a More Just Society", or subscribe to Insight Myanmar wherever you get your podcasts, or see links below or in the bio.