MEDIA RELEASE
Coinciding with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict-
NEW REPORT EXPOSES SYSTEMATIC WEAPONIZATION OF CRSV AND PERVASIVE CULTURE OF IMPUNITY IN POST-COUP MYANMAR
CHIANG MAI / MAE SOT — 19 June 2026
Equality Myanmar (EQMM) has released a comprehensive situational analysis documenting the unprecedented scale, patterns, and systemic nature of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) across Myanmar in the aftermath of the 1 February 2021 military coup d’état.
The report, titled “Enduring Silence: Analysis of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Myanmar,” presents rigorous mixed-methods research covering incidents between February 2021 and December 2025. It reveals that sexual violence is actively utilized by the military junta forces as a deliberate, structural instrument of warfare, torture, social control, and state-sponsored terror rather than appearing as isolated or incidental occurrences.
Drawing on primary data from Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with survivors and witnesses, EQMM’s Documentation Team successfully verified 217 specific conflict-related sexual violence incidents involving 161 identified survivors and victims. Crucially, the findings indicate that severe forms of sexual violence—specifically rape and gang rape—comprise the overwhelming majority (68%) of all documented violations, heavily enabled by a long-standing, deeply entrenched culture of institutionalized impunity.
“The findings detailed herein reveal distinct patterns of abuse utilized as instruments of warfare, social control, and state-sponsored terror… This publication serves as a formal mandate to dismantle the culture of silence; it advocates for comprehensive accountability, survivor-centric justice, and a transition toward a legal framework where dignity and human rights supersede authoritarian brutality.”
Key Findings & Demographics
The report provides empirical proof of the disproportionate gender, age, and regional impacts of CRSV within the current non-international armed conflict landscape:
“For any inquiries or further questions, please feel free to reach out to us.”
Media Contacts
Dr. Sein Hlaing, Executive Director – Signal- 66987433660
Ye Yint Naung, Documentation and Research Senior Coordinator- Signal -66944460890
Official Website: www.equalitymyanmar.org
Full Report Access: “Enduring Silence: Analysis of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Myanmar” (First Edition, Published June 2026).
Equality Myanmar (EQMM) is a leading nongovernmental organization that organises a wide range of human rights education and advocacy programs, the documentation human rights violations, and provides emergency support for activists, human rights defenders, and their families. We work with a range of local civil society organizations, educators, activists, various local actors, and our programs and activities reach all states and regions in Myanmar.