Women Demand an Immediate End to War Crimes in Burma

Burma's military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1997. The SPDC has since claimed that “necessary mechanisms have been put in place towards the protection of human rights of women and children” to fulfill its obligation under CEDAW.

The Burmese military regime insists at various UN forums that, “Myanmar women have been enjoying equal rights to men since the beginning of civilization.” At the 23rd Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century” (Beijing +5), a male spokesman from the SPDC stated that “violence against women and girl child does not pose a major problem” in Burma. Moreover, he claimed that as the regime had been “able to bring peace and stability to the country,” he guaranteed that the country would “redouble its efforts in promoting the rights of women and girl child in an environment of peace, stability and development.”