A total of 1,132 women have been killed and 5,649 arrested by the Myanmar military junta since the February 2021 coup, according to a recent report by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
The data, collected from the start of the coup through the end of August this year, only includes cases that could be verified by the rights group. The actual number of victims is likely much higher, the AAPP said, an independent non-profit organization.
The report, titled "Women Behind Bars in the Spring Revolution," acknowledges the struggle of women in Myanmar, who have played a leading role in anti-military protests since the junta ousted the elected civilian government of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Despite facing severe repression, including killings, arrests, torture, and sexual violence, women remain committed to the resistance in all parts of the country.
According to the AAPP, the main causes of death for these women include shelling, bombing, and torture during interrogations in prisons and police stations.
In September alone, eight more women were killed, including four under interrogation and two in police stations.
Yangon reported the highest number of women arrested and imprisoned, with 1,440 cases, followed by Mandalay with 929, and Sagaing with 705. The report detailed similar atrocities in other regions, indicating the spreading nature of the junta's crackdown.
Women across Myanmar face the constant threat of arbitrary detention, justified by the junta through politically motivated allegations.
Many of those arrested have been subjected to severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from the moment of their arrest, continuing through interrogation and imprisonment.
In some cases, female prisoners were killed during interrogation without public knowledge, and families of political activists have also been targeted.
Ma Zu Zu May Yoon from the Women's Organization of Political Prisoners (WOPP), a former political prisoner herself, highlighted that even pregnant women have been detained, with her group working to provide food and medicine to those still imprisoned.
The rights group, AAPP, is calling on the international community and relevant stakeholders to enhance support and cooperation in holding the junta accountable for these atrocities and to take swift action against those responsible.