The National Unity Government (NUG) Acting President Duwa Lashi La has given a speech in support of a United Nations effort involving 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
In a speech made on 25 November, Duwa Lashi La had the following to say:
This is an event to launch 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The National Unity Government of Myanmar is glad to participate in this United Nations effort, and to unite with responsible governments and activists from across the world who are dedicating their effort to the vital task of eliminating violence against women and girls.
The International Theme for this year’s 16 days of activism is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls”.
As President of the National Unity Government, I speak today for more than 16 months of such violence, perpetrated against the women, children and all people of Myanmar. Let me tell your first why this responsibility to eradicate the scourge of gender-based violence matters so much for the people of Myanmar
The State Administration Council or SAC formed by Myanmar’s military after their unlawful coup of 1st February 2022 is a criminal enterprise. It discounts the will of the people and instead uses its power to attack them. It neglects the people’s needs and ignores their fundamental rights.
People across Myanmar, from all ethnicities, faiths, ages and genders, are suffering now at the hands of this toxic regime. We have a deep concern for the thousands of pregnant women who have been forced to give birth on the run, in the jungle, in abandoned villages and with little or no assistance. With minimal access to obstetric care, the numbers of women and children dying in childbirth has increased, and immunisations for children have virtually ceased. This will result in thousands of children at risk of death from preventable disease.
Women are losing their lives by direct violence, and also by this neglect. This deliberate campaign of rape and murder must be stopped. In fear for their lives, over one million people have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, many of which have been hastily constructed and have barely enough supplies to support basic needs.
The majority of IDPs are women, young people and children.
The National Unity Government has adopted a women and human-rights based approach in all our efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls by adopting the Code of Conducts, Policy on Protection Against Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA) and Women, Peace and Security Framework. These policies and guidelines are informing our work across NUG ministries, including the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs. We are proud that we are the first government in the history of my country to create such a ministry, as a clear sign of our commitment to hear and respond to the needs of women.
The role of any true government is to ensure that people live their lives protected by fundamental human rights. This is the necessary pre-condition for human flourishing. The National Unity Government provided financial aid to 50,000 pregnant women in conflict area in 2021 and 45,000 pregnant women until mid-year of 2022. Our humanitarian aid reached millions of women and children which are medicines, warm clothes and basic food. Our mission also reached the survivors of sexual violence committed by the military force. We have received 120 sexual violence cases and this is a high number since the 2021 military coup.
In this regard, real change will only come when the international community, including the United Nations, takes effective action to stop this terrorist military from perpetrating atrocities.
We call for an immediate and effective arms embargo to stop those countries who are providing the weapons that enable the Myanmar military to carve this blood-soaked path through our women and our children.
Right now, the National Unity Government is hard at work to mitigate the harms caused by this violence. We are working across our various ministries to enable victims to become survivors, and survivors to become victors. We provide shelter and protection, psycho-social support and medical care to those in our care.
This is what a true government does.
And we therefore urge every organisation and individual to join forces to prevent and end violence perpetrated against women and girls.
To this end, I commit the National Unity Government to use these sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence to a programme to hear and amplify the voices of Myanmar women whose voices have been silenced by violence through our history. We will be in the refugee camps, on the borders, in the spaces where women have fled for their safety.
Please do not forget Myanmar. Help us now in our fight for freedom. Violence is not acceptable. Join me and my people in saying no to the violence as the International Theme for this year’s 16 days activism is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls”.
Thank you for listening to me today.
