Burmese women held candlelight rally in Delhi

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

New Delhi, November 30, 2002:

Burmese women activists joined the Indian women groups today in a candle light demonstration in New Delhi, protesting against violence against women. The protest organized by JAGORI – a women organization in India – was held at Nizamuddin Circle in New Delhi this evening.

Holding placards - “We want peace”, “Stop –State Sponsored Violence”, “Stop-Military Sponsored Rape” - and candlelights, about 20 Burma women activists participated in the silent protest.

The Burmese women activists, under the banner of “Women of Burma for Peace”, condemned the brutal acts of the ruling Burmese military junta against gender-based violence committed by the military officials in Burma.

“We urge the international community to condemn the Burmese regime and to support for social change and democratization in Burma”, said Daw Molly, Chairperson of India-based Women Rights and Welfare Association of Burma.

In a media release issued today, the Burmese women organization alleged that the military regime in Burma is systematically using rape as a weapon of war waged against the ethnic women of Burma. It cited the recent report – License of Rape – released by Thailand-based Shan Women Action Network and Shan Human Rights Foundation in June of this year where 173 cases of rape of Shan women by the Burmese military officials were documented.

The activists have called for “concerted international pressure on the Burmese junta to end sexual violence and other human rights abuses against the ethnic women of Burma.

In the morning, the Burmese women activists participated in a public meeting held at “Bharat Scouts and Guides Ground” in New Delhi, being organized by Coalition For Nuclear Disarmament & Peace - an umbrella of people’s movements against nuclear weapons, war, and conflict. The three-day public meeting will be ended on December 1.
 

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