Activists urge stricter penalties for child rape
Activists are pushing for heavier penalties for those who sexually abuse or rape children, with a signboard campaign over the weekend held at Mandalay’s Manaw Yaman public square on 62nd Street. The public display was part of a 16-day campaign, which began on November 25, run by civil society groups with the mission of ending violence against women. “We have seen a spate of rapes of children recently, so this campaign aims to educate the public and also to urge parliamentary representatives to deal with this issue through very careful consideration and by submitting proposals to parliament as quickly as possible,” said one of the organisers, Ko Nay Win Aung. Legislative action should include heavy penalties for sex offenders perpetrating abuses against minors, he said, with the goal of reducing the number of cases. “We do not want to demand only the death penalty, but either a 40-year sentence or a life sentence,” he said. “Death is not the wrong penalty for a real offender but there could be a wrongful conviction of someone who did not actually commit a crime.”
