Christians fear civilian casualties in Burma

Burmese Christian minorities suffer
greatly at the hands of the military.

Civilians in two ethnic minority states with large Christian populations fear their lives will be in danger as skirmishes between rebels and a Burmese junta bent on instilling Buddhist nationalism threaten to escalate into war.

“It is likely that the military junta will carry out a military offensive against ethnic armed groups now that the elections are over,” Nang Mya Naddy, ethnic program coordinator of the Democratic Voice of Burma radio program, told Compass Direct News.

Christians fear that full-scale civil war in Burma (also known as Myanmar) could result in either ethnic cleansing or total subjugation of minorities. Persecution of Christians in Burma is part of a wider campaign against ethnic minority tribes to create a uniform society in which the only accepted religion is Buddhism.

Pray for intervention that will bring justice. Pray also for repentance of those who use their power in wicked ways. Burma is a deeply fractured nation on a political, ecclesiological and especially ethnic level. Pray for seemingly impossible ethnic harmony, effective federalism and peace. There are many causes of division among Burmese Christians—ethnic, political, passivism/military activism and doctrinal. Pray for spiritual unity.

You can read the full report here.