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Iris Ar-Paing, the Centre-Committee Member of Kayan Women Organization (KyWO), said it is emergency to execute the policy and agreement in peace negotiation in regard of the safety of women in refugee repatriation process.
“If we look from women’s point of view, the government should effectively function the safety of women especially in refugee repatriation. The citizens also have been suffered from the unpeaceful hit for decades. I also wish to have the agreement as fast as possible in case of quick restarting the refugee repatriation and bilateral peace negotiation.” said Iris Ar-Paing.She also raised her point that she is pretty worried for the safety of Myanmar women as the Prevention and Protection of Violence Against Women Act in Myanmar is still in draft, and there is no safety at all for the women who have been fleeing from civil war.
Related to this issue, Kayan Women Organization (KyWO) held the workshop with local authorities at Hein Da-ma Ward, Pe’ Kon Township, on January 15, 2020.Khoon Kleh Min, the secretary of Kayan National Party, said although there is no fighting, we still could not say we have peace; likewise, we still have no peace if we do not have community development and the right to do.
“We do not see, regarding to peace, peace means only the fighting or war. It doesn’t mean we have peace if there are no sounds of gun; likewise, lack of freedom and development are also listed in unpeaceful situation.” said Khoon Kleh Min.We have known, in the Workshop, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), (UNSCR-1325) the decisions of United Nations Security Council, and the draft of Kayah State’s Constitution were played as main discussion points.
“The public haven’t known about it yet. In today workshop, thus, we have discussed about it. Another topic we discussed is about the Security Council No.1325 resolved by United Nations (UNSCR).” explained Yu Yu Shwe, the person in-charge of Prevention and Protection from Violence Against Women, from Kayan Women Organization (KyWO).
In real life, we have known women in ethnical areas have suffered from the violence against human rights, land confiscation, violations to women due to drug-use, and sexually harassment and rape against women in civil war.
At the state peace and administration level, the rights and opportunity for women is low; thus, their organization is collaborating with other women organizations in the case of improving job opportunity for women and refugee repatriation.