State of terror: the ongoing rape, murder, torture and forced labour suffered by women living under the Burmese Military Regime in Karen State

This report documents the range of human rights abuses that continue to be perpetrated across Karen State as part of The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC’s) sustained campaign of terror. The report focuses in particular on the abuses experienced by women and girls and draws on over 4000 documented cases of human rights abuses perpetrated by the SPDC.

Many of the recent accounts of human rights violations which occurred in late 2005 and 2006 provide irrefutable evidence that the SPDC’s attacks during this period have increased and have deliberately targeted the civilian population. The authors highlight how a recent dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) as well as in those crossing the border in search of asylum, bears further testimony to the escalation of attacks on the civilian women, men and children of Karen State.

Recommendations are given for the SPDC, international community and Royal Thai Government. These include:

• the SPDC must stop all forms of sexual violence and all other forms of human rights abuses against women and girls, in particular in the ethnic areas of Burma
• the Royal Thai Government must continue to provide protection to refugees in the existing camps and promote integration in Thailand through freedom of movement, and opening opportunities for employment inside and outside the camps
• the International community must call for the UN Security Council to keep Burma on their agenda and to pass a binding resolution which demands that the SPDC military regime immediately implements a nationwide ceasefire, withdraws its troops stationed in the ethnic states and starts meaningful dialogue