A/HRC/56/CRP.8 the Mechanism reported that it had collected significant evidence of sexual violence at detention facilities, finding also that sexual and gender-based crimes were being committed with “the highest levels of cruelty and harm to the victims, including rape with objects, other forms of humiliation, mutilation, gang or serial rape and sexual enslavement.”53 61. The UN Secretary-General additionally highlighted conditions in Myanmar in his 2023 report to the Security Council regarding conflict-related sexual violence. The SecretaryGeneral stated that sexual violence, including the threat and use of rape and gang rape, was being used “as part of the repertoire of political violence to intimidate and punish opponents, their family members, and women human rights defenders.” He additionally highlighted soldiers’ and prison officers’ use of sexual violence in detention, the commission of rape against women who are unable to flee during military assaults, and evidence of sexual violence against women who have been subject to extrajudicial executions.54 62. The expansion of conflict to new areas has exacerbated the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual violence. Whereas previous patterns of sexual violence have primarily impacted ethnic minority populations, since the coup military forces, soldiers, and members of affiliated militias have additionally assaulted women and girls in predominantly Bamar areas, including Sagaing and Magway Regions. 63. The Special Rapporteur continues to receive disturbing reports of SAC soldiers carrying out horrific acts of sexual violence during their assaults or raids of civilian villages. In some cases, these incidents occur when soldiers invade homes under the pretext of conducting household checks to search for resistance actors. Military forces have also committed acts of sexual violence after kidnapping and taking women to their camps. 64. Reports of rape and gang rapes, including of pregnant women and adolescent girls, are common. In some cases, women have been raped multiple times. Soldiers have reportedly raped women in front of their fathers, husbands, and other family members. Women’s organizations report that in many documented cases, military personnel were under the influence of alcohol. Victims’ corpses have been found with items inserted into their genitals. The Special Rapporteur has received numerous reports of rape victims being burned alive or their bodies burned after they were killed. The bodies of some women who have been extrajudicially killed have shown signs of sexual violence. The “Ogre Column,” a military unit operating in southern Sagaing Region, has become known for its brutal crimes and violence, which has included beheading, maiming, mutilation, and rape of women. 65. Local human rights organizations report that sexual violence also occurs at SACcontrolled checkpoints across the country. Military soldiers search and inspect those passing through checkpoints and sometimes arbitrarily detain people. Women who are detained at these checkpoints have reported being victims of rape and sexual assault. Women have also reported other forms of abuse at checkpoints, including invasive body searches, sexually explicit intimidation, and other verbal abuse. 66. The Special Rapporteur also continues to receive reports of targeted sexual violence and abuse against LGBT people by SAC forces, driven by deep homophobic and transphobic mentalities. Their gender identity or sexual orientation is weaponized to inflict 53 54 18 Myanmar, UN Doc. A/HRC/51/4, 12 July 2022, https://iimm.un.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AHRC-51-4-E.pdf. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, Report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, UN Doc. A/HRC/54/19, 30 June 2023, https://iimm.un.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/08/G2312500-1.pdf. United Nations Security Council, Conflict-related sexual violence: Report of the Secretary-General, UN Doc. S/2023/413, 22 June 2023, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n23/127/81/pdf/n2312781.pdf?token=vFPRJ31aCcScpv7S4u &fe=true.