Three soldiers sentenced to 20 years in prison for Rathedaung rape 

By Aung Htein 11 Dec 2020

Aung Htein | DMG
11 December 2020, Sittwe  

A military tribunal in Arakan State’s Sittwe Township has sentenced three soldiers to 20 years in prison with hard labour for raping a 36-year-old woman in U Gar village, Rathedaung Township, earlier this year.   

“The three were sentenced to 20 years each in prison. I am satisfied with the verdict,” said the victim following the court-martial ruling on December 11.  

Daw Mya Thuzar, a lawyer with the Sittwe branch of the Legal Clinic Myanmar, said the sentencing of the three soldiers was fair.  

“Such a sentence carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Section 376 [of the Penal Code], in addition to other sections, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. I think this is a fair verdict,” she explained.  

A Myanmar military battalion reportedly entered U Gar village on June 29 and found the mother of four and her relatives hiding in their home during what the Tatmdaw described as “clearance operations” against Arakan Army troops in the area. They threatened the victim at gunpoint and raped her in a nearby house, she told the press in July.   

The perpetrators confessed to the crime at a military court tribunal in the Arakan State capital Sittwe on December 3, and were sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday.  

Daw Nyo Aye, who assisted the victim and is chairwoman of the Arakan Women’s Network, said she was pleased that such an incident was effectively punished for the first time in Arakan State. 

“For the first time in Arakan State, the verdict was very in-depth. As far as we understand, these cases are not very close to amnesty. We are pleased with the military tribunal’s verdict.”  

The three Tatmadaw personnel have reportedly been sent to Sittwe Prison for the time being.