Burmese Women’s Union highlights rights abuse against women in Burma

Mizzima

The Burmese Women’s Union (BWU) says the illegal military junta have continued to commit various forms of severe human rights violations that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. For women, due to the various forms of human rights violations that they face on a daily basis, including conflict-related sexual violence, many have lost their lives.

As of January 1 to June 30, 2026, 332 women have been killed. The reported data has been monitored and collected from reliable media sources by the Burmese Women’s Union (BWU). However, BWU encountered numerous obstacles when accessing data and information; therefore, the actual figures may be much higher on the ground.

Based on BWU data monitoring from various reliable media and ground sources, 332 women were killed across the country from January 1 to June 30 June. Among them, 242 women were killed by military airstrikes; 42 women lost their lives due to extrajudicial killings; 29 were killed by military artillery shelling targeting civilian homes and villages; women died due to fire; 7 women were killed by crossfire; 1 woman was killed by a landmine; 1 woman lost her life due to lack of medication; and 1 died due to conflict-related sexual violence.

Call For Urgent Action

BWU calls for urgent action to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community to stop grave human rights violations by bringing the perpetrators (the illegal military) to account, to end impunity, and ensure justice and remedies for the victims and survivors. The people of Myanmar urgently need people’s resolute support and concrete action to end this military’s violence.

Although the criminal military junta is attempting to portray itself as a legitimate government after holding sham elections, the reality on the ground is that it continues to wage a widespread campaign of terror across the country through airstrikes, civilian massacres, and torture.

Therefore, the international community must refuse to recognize the junta, divest from its operations, and cut off all forms of cooperation that provide it with financial support.

Enforce targeted sanctions specifically blocking arms and aviation fuel from reaching the criminal military junta and increasing pressure on the criminal military junta to stop all kinds of atrocities targeting civilians.

ASEAN and international community must work to hold Min Aung Hlaing and its military junta accountable under international law for their genocide against Rohingya, and war crimes and crimes against humanity against the people of Myanmar.

Engage in coordinated advocacy with different stakeholders such as EROs, the interim government, CSOs, women, LGBTQIA+, and human rights organizations through regional and international platforms.