Nine women from Phwe Yar Gone internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Sae Thamar Gyi Village Tract in Rakhine State’s Sittwe Township have accused the camp manager, Ous Phan Gawni, of raping them.
They are filing a lawsuit against him and according to the president of the Rakhine Women’s Association, Daw Nyo Aye, the women have all undergone DNA tests to help prove they were raped by Ous Phan Gawni. They are currently awaiting the results of the tests and once they have the results they will file charges.
Daw Nyo Aye said: “We submitted the DNA tests in the first week of March. We also did an x-ray of an injured young woman. We [just] took DNA from the rest. Other necessary examinations have been completed. Now, we are waiting for the results. Once we get the results, we will take legal advice about filing a lawsuit. The DNA test results are likely to take about 15 days [to arrive].”
She added that at least 40 women have accused Ous Phan Gawni of raping them, but that currently, only nine are working on filing a lawsuit against him.
“Now, only nine have filed a lawsuit. Others who have been raped are reluctant to speak out due to the fear of marriage difficulties according to their traditions. Some are afraid of being divorced by their husbands. And some do not have the courage to come to court. Now, the victims include married women, virgin women, mothers of children, and one disabled [woman]”, said Daw Nyo Aye.
The nine women who are trying to bring the case against Ous Phan Gawni are aged between 18 and 34 years of age, one is disabled. They were raped in 2022 and 2023.
According to women in Phwe Yar Gone IDP camp Ous Phan Gawni has been harassing many Muslim women in the camp since 2017.
Daw Nyo Aye decried the violations of the women’s human rights.
She said: “What I would like to say is that these human rights violations should not happen. When they [women] are subjected to these violations I want to say that they have to suffer everything done to them, because men and women have a different existence. I have been devastated by this.”
The rape victims told the media that inspections need to be carried out in other IDP camps and effective action needs to be taken against anyone who is found to have assaulted women.
