Type of Incident

Rape

Date of Incident(s)

August 12th 2020

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

T--- village, K--- village tract, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District

Victim Information

Name

Naw[4] L---

Age

75

Sex

Female

Nationality

Karen

Family status   

Widow

Religion

Christian

Village

T--- village

Perpetrator Information (Civilians)

Name(s)           

Occupation

Village

Unknown

Unknown

T--- village, K--- village tract, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township, Taw Oo District

1. Explain in detail how you collected this information.

A KHRG researcher interviewed the survivor on September 5th 2020.

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

 The source experienced this incident first hand.

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On August 12th 2020, Naw L---, a 75-year old widow from T--- village, K--- village tract, Daw Hpa Hkoh Township was raped by a fellow villager who snuck into her house between 12 am and 1 am.

The survivor recounted the incident to KHRG: “He climbed from the ground up through a hole in the floor. […] I was trying to look at his face, but he did not show his face [it was dark and she could not find her torch (flashlight)]. I could hear his voice. […] He grabbed my hands and shut my mouth with his hand. I almost died. […] I was shouting [for help], but he was shutting my mouth [with his hand]. It was about midnight, and everyone was fast asleep. So, even if I could have shouted out loud, the villagers might not have heard me.”

The next morning, Naw L--- came to suspect a young man who used to come to her house to drink tea and chew betel nut. As she explained: “After the incident, he stopped coming [to my house]. I knew it right away [that he was the perpetrator]. […] He would always call me ‘Hpee Hpee’ [grandma]. Since the incident, he does not dare to call me [grandma] anymore. I think it was that man because many people talked about the unlawful acts he committed, such as stealing.”

She first reported the case to a local church leader, and eventually took the matter to the village head, who promised to investigate the case [KHRG was not able to establish the exact dates]. He interrogated both the survivor and perpetrator during separate meetings and recorded their statements. Although the perpetrator denied raping Naw L---, she later recognised his voice after listening to the audio statement he gave to the village head. Local leaders then asked the village tract administrator whether they could report the case further [to higher authorities], to which he replied: “If you do report the case further, tell me [keep me informed].”

After hearing that the case was referred to the village tract leader, the perpetrator showed up in front the village head’s house armed with a machete [KHRG was not able to establish the exact date]. Neither the village head nor his family were home at the time. Local villagers then gathered around the perpetrator, until his father eventually arrived at the scene and brought him back to their house. After this incident, the village head took his wife and children to another village out of concern for their safety.

In his [the village head’s] absence, the deputy village head held a meeting with local leaders to decide whether this case should be reported to the Myanmar Police Force or to P’Doh[5] Jackson Htun [a KNU official]. They decided to report it to the KNU authorities. P’Doh Jackson Htun arrived at the village on September 4th 2020 to investigate the case. The local authorities eventually arrested the perpetrator on November 10th 2020.

The survivor now hopes that justice will be served, and [even though the perpetrator was arrested, she] lives in constant fear of retaliation from the perpetrator: “During the incident, he told me he would come again. After the incident, I do not feel safe enough to sleep in my house alone anymore.” she did not benefit from counselling services to overcome her trauma. 

Before this incident, Naw L--- had already experienced sexual violence in the past. She was once raped by an escaped Tatmadaw[6] deserter while she was living in her late husband’s village [she does not remember the exact date, but she told KHRG that she lived there from 1986 to 1997]. This deserter was arrested by the head of the local militia and taken to the village, where he was violently slapped in the face until he bled. However, it is likely that justice has not been served regarding this case, as the survivor does not seem to know whether further action was taken against him.

Update from a KHRG researcher, February 12th 2020: The local authorities released the perpetrator in December [KHRG was not able to establish the exact date] due to lack of evidence and witnesses. He is now back in the village, which leaves the survivor particularly vulnerable to retaliation and further abuses.

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

The victim allowed KHRG to use this information.