Impunity Under Civilian Rule: Sexual Violence in Modern Myanmar

The Oxford Burma Alliance host a roundtable on sexual violence in Burma, chaired by Dr Kirsten McConnachie. Participants will include Zoya Phan from Burma Campaign UK and Dr Phyllis Ferguson from Oxford Transitional Justice Research.

In January 2014, the Women’s League of Burma released a report documenting a 'widespread and systematic pattern of sexual violence' perpetrated by the Myanmar military in ethnic regions of the country since the election of Thein Sein’s nominally civilian government in 2010. In April 2014, a Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) report termed these infractions 'war crimes' and 'crimes against humanity'. This roundtable addresses the issue of ongoing sexual violence in Myanmar, specifically asking: what can, and should, the Myanmar government and international community be doing to address these abuses?

Zoya Phan will present a picture of ongoing cases of sexual violence in Myanmar under civilian rule. Zoya is a prolific political activist, Campaigns Manager at BCUK and author of the memoir 'Little Daughter'. In 2010, she was recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Dr Phyllis Ferguson will then respond to Zoya from a comparative standpoint, drawing lessons for Myanmar from wider contexts. Dr Phyllis Ferguson served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in East Timor after University teaching and research in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe; she was the coordinator for African Studies in the University of Oxford and founding member of the Oxford International Human Rights Law Group at CSLS and is now with Oxford Transitional Justice Research, writing on women’s economic and political empowerment and gender justice in post-conflict Africa and Southeast Asia.

Discussions will be informal and opened to the floor. All welcome.

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