A/HRC/56/CRP.8 I. Introduction 1. Women and LGBT people are at the forefront of a revolution in Myanmar that is committed to ending decades of political domination and rampant human rights violations by the military. They are seizing the opportunity to build a peaceful and democratic future for their country and dismantle the discriminatory and patriarchal hierarchies that have long kept them from fully enjoying their rights. 2. The 1 February 2021 military coup precipitated an unprecedented human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. Armed conflict, displacement, economic collapse, hunger, and the junta’s gross human rights violations threaten the lives and wellbeing of people in every corner of the country. Women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender-diverse (LGBT) people are severely and uniquely impacted. Conflict and the disintegration of the rule of law have exacerbated the vulnerabilities of these historically marginalized populations. The junta, or State Administration Council (SAC), is targeting women and LGBT people with gendered and sexualized forms of violence. After the people of Myanmar defeat the military dictatorship and end their nightmare, they will need time and support to heal the deep scars left by the 2021 coup and the SAC’s reign of terror. 3. The threat of sexual and gender-based violence is a dark shadow that follows women, girls, and LGBT people throughout Myanmar. The Myanmar military and SAC allied forces have committed rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict zones, at checkpoints, and in places of detention. The widespread nature of sexual violence in the post-coup period reflects historical patterns stretching back decades. Cruelty and dehumanization have long been a hallmark of sexual crimes perpetrated by SAC forces, with reports of gang rapes, rape with objects, the rape of pregnant women and children, and victims being burned alive. SAC forces have weaponized the gender identity or sexual orientation of LGBT people in hypersexualized forms of torture and harassment. Resistance forces have also been responsible for acts of sexual and gender-based violence. 4. Violence within homes and communities is one of the greatest concerns of women, girls, and LGBT people in Myanmar. Domestic violence has risen dramatically since the coup, driven by displacement, altered living situations, economic stresses, and the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Many LGBT people have been separated from regular support networks and fear discrimination or even violence by family, neighbors, and community members. 5. Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence have always struggled to secure justice in Myanmar, but post-coup conditions have rendered accountability nearly impossible. The SAC’s control of law enforcement and the judiciary entrenches impunity for the perpetrators of sexual violence. Survivors face threats and the risk of retaliation for reporting sexual crimes, including those committed by resistance forces. Local organizations’ efforts to support victims are hampered by limited capacity and funding. 6. Human rights violations against women and LGBT political prisoners are often directly linked to their gender or sexual orientations. Female political prisoners regularly experience sexual harassment and sexually explicit questioning during interrogation, and have been raped, mutilated, groped, and deliberately beaten on their breasts and hips. LGBT people, and especially those who are transgender, have experienced extremely cruel and dehumanizing treatment. 7. The SAC has systematically targeted women and LGBT human rights defenders and taken steps to eradicate the organizations and networks promoting gender equality and LGBT rights. Harassment and the constant risk of arrest and violence have forced many advocates into hiding or exile. Women and LGBT activists have also faced vicious gendered online attacks, including threats of violence, doxxing, and sexualized harassment. The risks facing 4