Yangon

The event’s participants and organizers were fully aware that they were doing something sensitive. In a country where even the word “Rohingya” is taboo, there was a risk that the audience would respond badly.

Than Toe Aung faced years of discrimination and harassment as a Muslim in Myanmar. When he discovered the power of slam poetry, he decided to use it as a tool to speak out, unite and fight for justice.

Demonstrators including high-school students gathered peacefully in the heart of Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, held signs and chanted slogans denouncing the guilty verdict against the two journalists.

A recent Myanmar government report says the number of rape cases in Myanmar increased by nearly 30 percent from 2016-2017.

Discrimination and sexual harassment in Myanmar’s garment factories can take a massive financial toll on both the workers and the industry. To improve women’s economic wellbeing, employees and authorities need to address their physical safety, say rights advocates.