SPDC blames American sanctions for the poor lives of Burmese women

DVB ( July 31,2003 )

Military junta in Burma accused US’ new economic sanction has forced more Burmese women into sex slavery.

“It is an abuse of human rights” ” said the SPDC’s Secretary – 1, General Khin Nyunt. “Many women were lured with foreign attractions and smuggled out of the country and sold.”

But Daw Molly, chairwoman of Women Rights and Welfare Association of Burma (WRWAB) argued that women struggled to get jobs and were sold as prostitutes since the military junta took over the country in 1988.

Also, she complained the government blamed others for its own fault.

“The reason why the US imposed sanctions on Burma is to pressurise the regime to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, supporters of democracy, the NLD, and its supporters from prisons,” said Daw Molly. ‘If those people are released quickly, these problems will be solved.

But American’s sanction seem to affect local people e.g. workers in garment factories more than the government.

So far, over 30 garment factories out of 300 around the capital are closed down. Many believes that all factories will be out of business once the sanction starts.

One foreign factory owner who did not want to be named said that he wanted the world to see his crying employees.

But Daw Molly believed that as long as there is no change of the political system, Burmese women will continue to suffer.

“Our women are scattered throughout the world and suffering because there is no sufficiency in the kitchen, not because of the economic blockades. The generals need to see and hear about this.”