“Because of the money the parents must accept it, if not they will be in trouble.” -quote from local relief team

The Burma Army has threatened and is now trying to bribe the family of 7-yr-old Ma Ne Mya, who was raped and killed by a soldier from LIB 350 on 27 December, 2009. According to the latest report from a relief team in the area, the girls parents and the local village leaders petitioned the Burma Army for justice in the incident. In response, the commander of LIB 350, Capt. Thet Khaing, forced 10 local business owners to provide a total of 1,000,000 Kyat ($800) in order to pay off the girl’s parents. The team also reported that the Burma Army has threatened the parents that they must accept the money as sufficient payment for the crime or face punishment. LIB 350 has now been replaced by IB 73 in the area.

Map of area where girl was raped and killed in Karen State

Background Information

On 27 December, 2008, a Burma Army soldier abducted, raped and killed 7-year-old Ma Ne Mya of Ma Oo Bin village in the area close to Kyauk Kyi Town, Nyaunglebin District. According to a report from teams in the area, upon entering the village at around 6 pm, a soldier from LIB 350, abducted the girl and proceeded to take her outside the village and begin to rape her. The soldier shot and killed her when she began to cry loudly. LIB 350 is under the command of Captain Thet Khaing.

The Following is a report of the same incident sent out on 2 January by the Karen Women’s Organization

2nd January, 2009

Urgent Statement by the Karen Women’s Organization

KWO demands accountability for SPDC rape and killing of 7-year-old girl

The Karen Women’s Organization is demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of an SPDC soldier who raped and killed a young girl in Burma’s northern Karen State last week, as well as punishment of his commanding officer for failing to take action over the crime.

The body of the 7-year-old girl was found near her house with gunshot wounds in her chest and signs of rape in the village of Ma Oo Bin, Kyauk Kyi Township, Nyaunglebin District, in the evening of December 27, 2008. Villagers had seen a soldier from SPDC Light Infantry (LI) 350 enter the village shortly beforehand, and then heard sounds of a girl crying out and rifle shots.

The girl’s parents and village leaders went to report the case the next day to Captain Thet Khaing, the local commander of SPDC LI 350, stationed near the village, but no action has been taken yet.

The KWO is appalled at this horrific crime, and that the SPDC authorities have failed to take any action over the case. If such impunity continues, the SPDC military will continue to commit such crimes, threatening the lives of women and girls throughout the country.

The KWO demands the immediate arrest of the rapist and prosecution in accordance with the severity of his crime. His commanding officer, Captain Thet Khaing, must also be held accountable for this crime and be punished for failing to ensure prosecution of the offender.

The KWO urges the international community to pressure the SPDC authorities to take action over this case, and to ensure that the victim’s family and other community members face no retaliation for their attempts to seek justice.