Charm Tong

Charm Tong (born in 1981, Shan State, Burma) is a Shan teacher and human rights activist. She is head of the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth in Northern Thailand. Charm Tong is also one of the founders of Shan Women's Action Network, which published the 2002 report License to Rape. For many years Charm helped refugees find school in Thailand.

Background and work with Shan Women's Action Network When Charm Tong was six years old, her family left Shan State to escape the ongoing fighting between Shan forces and the Tatmadaw (Burmese state military), part of Burma's ongoing internal conflicts. The family then took up residence in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border, enrolling her in a Catholic orphanage. She began her work as a human rights activist at the age of 16. Tong also received Marie Claire Women of the Year Award and the Reebok Human Rights Award. She speaks different languages including English, Thai, Mandarin as well as her native Shan.

In 2002, the Shan Women's Action Network published its report License to Rape: The Burmese military regime's use of sexual violence in the ongoing war in Shan State, which attempted to document "173 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence, involving 625 girls and women, committed by Burmese army troops in Shan State." The report describes "systematic and widespread incidence of rape" and includes 28 detailed interviews with rape survivors. The Burmese military government, the State Peace and Development Council, denied the report's findings, stating that insurgents are responsible for violence in the region.

International recognition On 31 October 2005, Charm Tong visited the White House to discuss the Burmese political situation with US president George W. Bush, National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and other senior US officials. "I am very happy ... to break the silence of what is happening to the people of Burma", she told reporters afterward.

For her work in investigating and publicizing abuses against Shan women by the Burmese military, Charm Tong received the Marie Claire Women of the World Award in 2004 and The Reebok Human Rights Award in 2005. The award was presented by US First Lady Laura Bush.