VOA慢速英语:调查战争中的性暴力
New guidance on investigating sexual violence in warhas been released at an international conference in London. Movie actressAngelina Jolie helped organize the four-day-long gathering, which took placelast week. She is a special representative for the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees.
The goal of the conference was to end the impunity -- the freedom frompunishment -- for those who are guilty of sexual violence in conflict. Christopher Cruise has more.
Lejla Damon was 18 years old when her parents told her about her adoption. She was born on Christmas Day 1992, in the city of Sarajevo, as Yugoslaviawas violently breaking up. Her mother did not want to see her newborn child. She gave her away.
“My mother, who was Bosnian Muslim, was raped repeatedly in theconcentration camps at the time and she, she became pregnant and then in the end ended up having to give birth to me in the central hospital in Bosnia, inSarajevo.”
Lejla grew up in Britain. She was adopted by the husband-and-wife team whofilmed her birth.
The fighting in Bosnia has ended. But Lejla says the Balkans war continues toaffect people.
“Out of so many rapes that went on in Bosnia, I think the only, I think therewere only 12 that actually went to court. It’s probably my birth mum’s story, this kind of sense of injustice that nothing ever really got done to help her.”
Lejla Damon now works for an aid group called War Child. It took part in theconference, where organizers released guidance on how to record andinvestigate sexual violence in conflict. Actress Angelina Jolie spoke during theconference.
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From left, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague and actress and campaigner Angelina Jolie gather at a summit to end sexual violence in conflict in London, June 13, 2014. |
“I have met survivors of war-zone rape around the world. And almost withoutexception, they ask for one thing: justice -- the right to be accepted, notshunned by society. The right to long-term economic and health support. Andabove all, the right to see their attackers held accountable in a court of law.”
In many African countries, few sexual attackers are punished. Andconference organizers say the use of rape as a weapon of war is common inplaces like the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Helen Kezienwha is Uganda country director for the aid group ISIS-Women’sInternational Cross-Cultural Exchange. Her group gives medical andemotional support to victims of rape.
“Most times, when women are raped, their families, especially their husbandsreject them, so they suffer from depression, loss of memory sometimes, andsometimes they feel, have suicidal thoughts because of the anger that isresident in them. Sometimes they see the perpetrators of the violence andnothing has happened.”
The international community has praised political reforms in Myanmar, alsoknown as Burma. But activists say the situation for women there has notchanged -- especially for ethnic minorities in areas where there is still conflict. Zoya Phan is Campaigns Director at the group Burma Campaign UK.
“In Burma Campaign UK, the reports of rape and sexual violence that wereceived has been increased since President Thein Sein started this reformprocess. And many of the women who have been raped, they have beengang raped.”
Conference organizers hope the new guidance will end the culture of impunityfor sexual violence in conflict.
I’m Christopher Cruise.
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