Written by Min Thu
Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, September 12
Under the dark shadow of a war burning fiercely across the region, women and children have become among the most vulnerable and easiest targets, bearing the brunt of displacement, violence, and trauma caused by the conflict.
Amid military and administrative changes in the Arakha region, sexual violence, rape, and killings targeting women and children are reportedly becoming increasingly entrenched as gaps in the rule of law emerge.
During the eight-month period from January to August 2026, at least 14 cases of rape and statutory rape involving children were reported in townships under the control of the Arakan Army (AA). These figures demonstrate the extent to which women and girls are lacking security on the ground.
Girls and children ranging in age from two, four, six, and eight years old to 13, 16, and 17 have reportedly been subjected to rape, leaving deep wounds within their families. Particularly distressing is the fact that some perpetrators have been elderly people or individuals whom members of the community trusted and relied upon.
On January 17, in Aung Thukha Village, Maungdaw Township, a six-year-old girl who was playing inside her home was reportedly raped by a 50-year-old neighbor identified as U Hla Than.
On March 16, also in the same village, a child more than two years old was reportedly raped and killed by a 17-year-old identified as Maung Pauk Sa Chay. The perpetrator allegedly attempted to conceal the body in a sack.
In addition, at Tezayrama Monastic Education School in Mrauk-U, a 56-year-old teacher identified as U Maung Nge reportedly made repeated attempts to rape four children between the ages of six and eight.
In Ngapali, Thandwe Township, a woman with a disability was reportedly raped. On May 1, in Kyi Chaung Village, Gwa Township, a 25-year-old woman with a disability was reportedly raped by two men identified as Nga Aung and Sithu Win.
Furthermore, on August 17, in Pauk Pin Kwin Village, Mrauk-U Township, a woman who was nine months pregnant was reportedly raped by a man from the same village identified as Zaw Min Tun.
Women have pointed out that violently attacking and attempting to rape a pregnant woman constitutes a criminal act regardless of whether the rape is completed.
Victims have also warned that if perpetrators are not subjected to effective punishment, such crimes could become more widespread in the community.
Women have expressed concern that if such incidents continue to occur, women may no longer feel safe even inside their own homes, despite having their husbands or other family members nearby.
“This is difficult to accept. Whether or not the act amounts to rape, the moment someone assaults a pregnant woman and attempts to rape her, that person has already committed a crime. If such a person cannot be brought to justice and punished, people like him may become more common in the community. If such people increase, other women, like the pregnant woman in this case, may increasingly find themselves unable to feel safe even inside their own homes, even when their husbands are nearby,”a woman from Mrauk-U told Border News Agency.
Members of the Arakha People’s Revolutionary Government have reportedly been able to arrest perpetrators in most of these cases. However, concerns among the Arakha public have increased because some suspects have subsequently escaped or been released, while some cases have been delayed.
For example, U Htun Aung Chay, who was accused of raping an eight-year-old girl in Pha Du Chay Village, Pauktaw Township, on March 3, was arrested but subsequently escaped.
Similarly, in the case of the rape and killing of a child more than two years old in Maungdaw on May 17, the alleged accomplice, the child’s mother Daw Hla Mya Than, was released, causing dissatisfaction among the victim’s family.
A case that has deeply shocked the public occurred in Pha Pyo Village, Myebon Township, where a nine-year-old girl was reportedly raped and killed by a 38-year-old man identified as U Maung Hla Than, who allegedly hung her body from a tree.
More than one year and five months have now passed since that case, but justice has still not been delivered.
Although the accused himself reportedly admitted in court that he had committed the crime and the examination of witnesses and the accused had already been completed, a final sentence has yet to be issued.
The prolonged delay has not only caused further distress to the victim’s family but has also strengthened the perception among local residents that they lack adequate protection under the law.
Criticism from the Arakha public over delays in delivering justice has been growing.
“The perpetrator himself already testified in court that he committed the crime. The examination of the witnesses and the accused has also been completed. But more than one year and five months have passed, and we still have not received justice,”said a female member of the victim’s family.
Although the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) of the Arakha People’s Revolutionary Government has made efforts to deliver justice, it cannot be denied that weaknesses remain on the ground.
For example, in Pauktaw Township, a court reportedly sentenced Maung Tin Win, who raped and killed a woman in July, to death under Section 302(1)(c) of the Penal Code, while two other defendants were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However, residents say that delays in sentencing in other cases do not create an effective deterrent against people who may intend to commit crimes in areas under the control of the Arakan Army.
The release of arrested suspects or alleged accomplices for various reasons is also threatening the security of victims’ families and undermining public confidence in the justice system.
Although the ongoing war may be cited as a reason for administrative and judicial difficulties, rape and child sexual abuse should not be treated as ordinary crimes. They require special attention and priority.
Women’s rights activists are calling for perpetrators of sexual violence to be prosecuted effectively under the law, despite the ongoing conflict.
“Taking advantage of the pressures created by the war and gaps in the rule of law during this period of administrative transition to commit sexual crimes against women and children is a challenge to the security of the entire community. These crimes cannot be treated lightly while military tensions remain high. If perpetrators cannot be dealt with firmly and effectively, society will become a place where women feel unsafe everywhere,”a women’s rights activist said.
The Arakha People’s Revolutionary Government has officially stated that a special court has been established in areas under the control of the Arakan Army to impose severe punishments for serious crimes, including child rape, rape and murder, and murder.
The special court was established in August, and authorities say it is working to ensure that perpetrators of sexual violence, child rape, rape, and murder receive appropriate punishment as quickly as possible.
The Arakan National Union has also stated that it is placing particular emphasis on preventing, reducing, and eliminating child sexual abuse.
“The judicial department of the Arakan Army must take the strongest possible action against any crime committed against children. Only then can such crimes be prevented from happening again. Children need to grow up in a safe environment in order for human resources to develop properly in the future. Therefore, sexual violence against children must be treated as an urgent issue,”Daw Hla Mya Khaing from the ULA Central Office said in an exclusive interview.
According to surveys, 93 percent of perpetrators of child sexual abuse are people known and familiar to the children, while only 7 percent are strangers.
Therefore, children need special protection not only from strangers but also from family members, relatives, acquaintances, and other trusted people around them.
According to the legal provisions and definitions of the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) of the Arakha People’s Revolutionary Government, sexual assault against a girl under the age of 12 constitutes child rape. Sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 constitutes rape, regardless of whether she consents.
Under Section 376, the punishment may include imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years or a fine. If the victim is the offender’s wife and is not under the age of 12, the punishment is imprisonment for two years or a fine.
Under Myanmar’s 2019 Child Rights Law, anyone under the age of 18 is defined as a child. Under Section 375 of the Penal Code, sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 constitutes rape. Section 376, as amended in 2019, separately provides for life imprisonment or imprisonment for 20 years for the rape of a child under the age of 12.
At the regional level within ASEAN and internationally, sexual acts against persons under the age of 16 are generally recognized as sexual violence against children, regardless of whether the child expresses consent.
Urgent legal and policy reforms are needed to establish a safe and secure society for women and children.
Cases of rape, including child rape, should not be allowed to remain pending for months. Special courts should be established to hear such cases promptly and ensure that effective sentences are imposed within a defined timeframe.
In addition to effectively punishing perpetrators under the law, authorities should publicly disclose information about the cases and sentences in a transparent manner. This would help raise public awareness and deter others from committing similar crimes.
A security and protection system should also be established to protect not only victims and their families but also witnesses from threats by perpetrators and their associates.
Furthermore, police officers and judges should receive systematic training in law and women’s rights so that investigations can be conducted professionally without undermining the dignity of women and children.
Lawyers have also raised concerns about the need to ensure justice for women.
“Justice for women cannot be achieved simply by issuing a judgment or decree. When a crime occurs, a special court needs to be established and the case must be heard promptly. Victims and witnesses must be fully protected from threats. Only then will they have the courage to testify openly,”a male lawyer said.
He added that sentences should also be made public and transparent so that they can serve as a deterrent to others.
In addition, judges and police officers need greater understanding, sensitivity, and professional expertise regarding women’s rights.
Military victories are important, but ensuring the safety and security of the public—especially women and children—and guaranteeing protection under the law must also be a government’s or supreme governing authority’s first and foremost responsibility.
A situation in which a woman fears being raped even inside her own home is itself evidence that the rule of law is failing.
If effective action and swift judicial proceedings are not implemented, the Arakha community, already wounded by war, risks becoming trapped in an even deeper cycle of victimization.
