“Branded”: #Myanmar Military Mutilations of #Rohingya Civilians - Physicians for Human Rights

11.7.19

By Phelim Kine and Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS // “Branded”: Myanmar Military Mutilations of Rohingya Civilians - Physicians for Human Rights - Of 114 Rohingya survivors interviewed by PHR during four separate field investigations to Cox’s Bazar in 2017 and 2018, 11 (9.6 percent) said that they had been the subject of some kind of deliberate bodily mutilation or had witnessed Myanmar security forces mutilating others. The victims of those mutilations suggest that the security forces intentionally targeted women and girls – particularly those who were pregnant – with mutilations of their breasts, genitals, or other body parts, often while or after they were raped. But men, including religious or community leaders, were also targets for mutilation or decapitation. Due to the deeply brutal and stigmatizing nature of injuries like genital mutilation – and the fact that PHR did not ask specific questions about this kind of violence – they are likely underreported.