A coalition of women’s activists are calling for justice after a 23-year-old student from Mon state was left badly disfigured in an acid attack in May.
Her boyfriend was charged and is currently on trial at Than Phyu Zayat Township.
The woman, who has not been named, sustained severe burns on her face, eyes, ears, throat, shoulder, chest and hands, the group of NGOs said at a press conference titled ‘No Acid Attack’ held at the Summit Parkview Hotel in Yangon on Friday.
“Her face was destroyed so much,” Phyo Phyo, from Akhaya Women Myanmar, one of the NGOs behind the ‘No Acid Attack’ campaign, told Coconuts Yangon. “We’re trying to enable her to get a proper appearance so she can get back into society.”
A woman looks at a poster from the ‘No Acid Attack’ campaign at the Summit Parkview Hotel in Yangon on August 19, 2016. Photo: Aung Naing Soe / Coconuts Yangon
The student, who is due to graduate from Mawlamine University soon, spent two months receiving medical care in Yangon General Hospital, but mounting medical bills have left her family struggling financially.
The coalition of women’s groups, which also includes the Karen Women’s Empowerment Group and Myanmar Positive Women Network, called for public donations to help fund the expensive treatment.
They also urged the government to swiftly pass a draft law on the prevention of violence against women, which they hope will help to counteract societal conventions that normalize abusive behavior.
“We’re hoping for a public voice,” said Nan Htwe, a program coordinator at Akhaya Women Myanmar. “This case will not be helped only by organization, we also need support from people.”
