07/06/2022 Myanmar (International Christian Concern) – A member of Myanmar’s government-in-exile, Maung Taing San, recently gave a speech demanding religious freedom. The military coup in February 2021 deposed Myanmar’s democratically elected government and replaced it with a violent military regime.
The Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Sasa, came forward to fight for the religious freedom of all civilians in Myanmar. Dr. Sasa proclaimed that Myanmar’s government-in-exile referred to as the National Unity Government, wants to draft a “federal, democratic, principle-based constitution that belongs to ALL the people of Myanmar…regardless of race, religion, gender, color, language, background, and ethnicity.”
This declaration is a source of hope for Christians and other religious minorities who regularly face religious persecution by the governing military junta. The military’s takeover of the government last year has caused displaced more than 1.2 million people, and “in the month of May alone, more than 7,000 civilian houses, churches and other places of worship [have been] burnt down and destroyed by genocidal military soldiers.”
Although religious freedom is a national right, the current governing body pushes for the spread of Buddhism. In attempts to spread the religion, the military junta has reportedly supported the Mabata, a Buddhist terrorist group that has reportedly “spread hate speeches against minority religions.”
According to Dr. Sasa, the military has also used starvation tactics to “intimidate and destroy religious freedom.” The military has prevented food, medicine, and aid from being delivered to “Christian majority states – Chin, Karenni (Kayah), Kachin, Karen – and Muslim minority Rohingya populations in Rakhine.”
In closing, Dr. Sasa asserted that the people of Myanmar “will never give up. We will not rest nor stop this fight for our freedom and [for] federal democracy.”
Please continue to pray for Christians in Myanmar and for continued progress in achieving religious freedom for all Burmese citizens.
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