Burma

Although Burma has moved away from a military controlled dictatorship in recent years and opened up the country in many ways, including greater freedom of the press and the release of hundreds of political prisoners, "grave challenges" remain for Christians and other religious minorities across the country. In a new in-depth report Christian Solidarity Worldwide reveals some of the most horrific human rights violations, including torture of Christians Kachin's, yet recorded in the country. 

The European Union has decided to lift economic sanctions against Burma (also known as Myanmar) despite ongoing conflicts in several parts of the country. At least one of those conflicts has dramatically affected the Kachin people of Northern Burma, who are overwhelmingly Christian. Reports to ICC indicate that the Burmese military continues to target churches for destruction as it advances through formerly Kachin territory.

With a change to democratic government two years ago many hoped that Burma was slowly opening to the outside world and that religious freedoms would soon follow. Although many advances have been made, the military, which is made up almost entirely of Buddhist nationalists, is still a powerful force in Burma and has continued to advance on territory held by predominantly Christian ethnic groups. In Northern Burma the military has burned dozens of churches while pushing back the Kachin people. Buddhist religious buildings are meanwhile left untouched. 

A war between the Buddhist military of Burma and the Christian Kachin ethnic tribe has been going on for more than 50 years in the mountains of Northern Burma. A cease-fire held in place for 17 years until the summer of 2011, when the Burmese military renewed its offensive. Reports indicate that not only are civilians being killed and driven from their homes en masse, but religious discrimination directed against Christians is not uncommon. According to one report at least 66 churches have been burned by the attacking army, while Buddhist pagodas are left untouched. 

Scattered attacks against the Kachin ethnic group in Northern Burma, which is believed to be more than 98% Christian, continue despite claims that the president has ordered a cease fire. The conflict against the Kachin has a religious dimension: one recent report documented that the Burmese army, pre-dominantly Buddhist, had torched 66 churches in attacks on villages since the summer of 2011. Meanwhile the army leaves Buddhist pagoda's untouched. Tens of thousands of Kachin have fled their homes and sought refugee in camps and across the border in China. 

“At this year’s Global Day of Prayer for Burma we are able to give thanks for some very welcome changes in Burma – the release of significant numbers of political prisoners, increased space for freedom of expression, more freedom for civil society...Yet Burma continues to face many significant challenges, including grave violations of human rights...Burma needs our prayers, our advocacy and our support now more than ever, as the country stands at the crossroads of potential change for which its people have struggled for so long."

In this shocking report a human rights organization working in Burma reveals that sixty-six churches have been burned down by the Burmese military since the beginning of a military offensive in June 2011. The Burmese military, which is made up completely of Buddhist troops, has been at war with the ethnic Kachin, who are over 90% Christian, for decades. A cease-fire between the groups ended when the Burmese military attacked again in June 2011. According to this article they have waged “unequal warfare” on Christian holy days and torched sixty-six churches in just a year and a half.  

With a military offensive by the Buddhist Burmese army still underway against the pre-dominantly Christian Kachin ethnic group, European Parliamentarians have sent an urgent letter to the foreign policy chief of the EU calling for an end to the violence. Churches are being damaged and Christian civilians are being killed on a daily basis.  

 Even as Burma promises to continue making large political reforms and greatly increase freedoms within the country, the Burmese military is continuing an offensive against the ethnic Kachin people. The Kachin are mostly Christian (some estimates say more than 98%) and have been seeking independence from Burma for decades. Adding an element of persecution to the conflict is the tendency of the Burmese military to discriminate against the Kachin for their Christian faith.