Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, August 26
The Central Office of the United League of Arakan (ULA) has confirmed that special courts have been opened in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) to take effective legal action against rape and murder cases.
The Department of Rule of Law and Public Security has been handling crimes such as child rape and murder through special courts since August. The department says offenders can receive sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment.
Daw Hla Mya Khaing, an official from the ULA Central Office, said, “We are not only carrying out awareness programs to prevent and eliminate child rape, but are also taking effective legal action against perpetrators through special courts. Under the law, they will face severe punishment.”
The ULA also says that party committees at district, township, and tract levels are working together with women’s and youth organizations to prevent child rape in communities. They are conducting awareness talks and distributing educational pamphlets.
Parents and guardians have also been urged not to hide cases out of shame. Instead, they are encouraged to report incidents bravely to the relevant administrative bodies and rule-of-law departments.
People have increasingly criticized the occurrence of rape cases, including child rape, in areas controlled by the Arakan Army.
The criticism is partly because some alleged perpetrators have not been arrested, while some people who were arrested have reportedly escaped.
