On Sunday, Yangon citizens gathered at the Hmyawsin Kyune compound in Kandawgyi Park to campaign for heavier punishment in cases involving sexual abusement, particularly of minors.
“We hear stories of children being raped and abused all the time. We want to bring an end to these cases in which the victims don’t have the ability to defend themselves from their abusers,” Maung Maung Aye, the event’s organizer, told Eleven.
At the event, participants held signs that said “Stop sexual violence” and “Tougher sentences for rape offenders”. The event posters encouraged participants to wear white t-shirts to represent the cause. There were also talks on how to further bring this issue to light.
Former MP Thein Nyunt submitted a proposal on two previous occasions to give the death penalty to people convicted of sexually abusing minors. It was voted down both times.
Article 376 of the Penal Code states that the prison sentence for an individual who has committed rape ranges from 10 years to life, in addition to a monetary fine. However, lawyers and activists who specialize in sexual abuse cases claim that sexual abusers’ sentences are almost always shorter than 10 years.
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