April 22.
On April 5, an official from the Global Khumi Organization (GKO) said they want the Arakan Army (AA) to take transparent legal action against 2 AA soldiers who tried to rape and drown a Khumi Chin woman in Paletwa Township, Chin State, according to a GKO official.
The incident occurred in AA-controlled territory and the rape was committed by AA soldiers themselves, making it a serious crime and a violation of human rights, a GKO official said.
“We want the perpetrator to be held accountable for the wrongdoing of the woman. We also want the prosecution to be transparent and fair. We want the woman and her family to be protected physically and emotionally,” said a GKO official.
This incident is not just a case of a Chin woman in Paletwa Township, Chin State, but also a reflection of the lack of security for women living in war-torn areas, said a Khumi Chin woman, a women’s rights activist from Paletwa Township.
“The AA must take effective and proper responsibility for the emotional and physical pain that the first victim and her family are currently experiencing. We believe that this is not just a case of a Chin woman in Paletwa Township, but also a reflection of the insecurity of women living in war zones,” said a Khumi Chin woman, a women’s rights activist in Paletwa Township.
On April 5, a local mother from Sein Sin Village in Paletwa Township was raped and tried to drown in a stream by two AA soldiers, according to local residents.
The AA has not yet responded to this case.
The AA has issued arrest warrants for two people accused of rape and murder in Paletwa Township, with a signboard showing the arrest warrants, and the two men are Ko Kyaw Htun Lin (23) and Ko Nay Htun Lin (23), according to a recent Facebook post.
The AA’s arrest warrants state that Ko Nay Htun Lin committed rape and murder on September 28, 2024, and Ko Kyaw Htun Lin committed murder on September 19, 2024.
The AA took control of all military council camps in Paletwa Township on January 14, 2024, and the AA is currently implementing administrative functions in Paletwa Township.