Myanmar

Located in southeast Asia, Myanmar, or Burma as it is also known, is one of the poorest countries in the region. Myanmar is ruled by a military junta, long criticized by the international community for its human rights violations. A United Nations report listed it as one of the most repressive and abusive regimes in the world. Its citizens do not have freedom of speech, the regime censors information, and they do not allow any nongovernmental organizations to operate. The junta has severely hurt women, using sexual violence and rape for intimidation purposes and taking young girls as sex slaves. Human trafficking and prostitution are also serious issues, and Burmese girls are sold into the Thai prostitution market. Because the military government ignores human rights issues, women are at severe risk.

Culturally, in Myanmar women have high social status and legally have the same rights as men. However, there are no laws regarding equal pay, sexual harassment, or domestic violence. Women remain in largely pink-collar jobs and are barred from military service. The burden of poverty falls largely on women. In recent years, women in exile have formed a Women's Pro-Democracy movement to pressure the government to address women's issues.

One of the most famous pro-democracy advocates is Aung San Suu Kyi, an opposition leader who ran for prime minister in 1990. When she won the election with her National League for Democracy party, the military government nullified the elections and put her under house arrest. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years, even though the international community has pressured the regime to release her. While imprisoned, she won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990. In 1991, Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2007, the U.S. Congress awarded her [Page 990]the Congressional Medal of Honor. She was the first person to receive the award while in confinement. In November 2010, she was released from house arrest by the junta government.

A Burmese woman sorts rice. The 2008 cyclone was devastating, and most offers for aid were refused by the junta.

When basic human rights are routinely violated, women suffer the consequences. The ongoing fear of rape, sexual assault, or forced prostitution is daunting. The women of Myanmar suffer greatly under the repressive junta.