“The Lamb of God will be their shepherd and wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
[Oct.22.2021] A human rights group has condemned the burning down of an entire village, including the local church, by Myanmar’s military in Chin’s predominantly Christian and embattled state, calling it a “war crime” under international law.
The military, which staged a coup on Feb. 1, attacked Rialti village near the state’s capital of Hakha recently, the American Christian Post reported.
The troops initially burned some homes on Oct. 13 afternoon before continuing to set buildings on fire, including that of Rialti Village Baptist Church, on the 14th morning.
“The military burned some houses on the 13th (local time), and the next day morning, the Rialti Village Baptist Church and other buildings were set on fire.” “All were gone in a short while. The whole village, including the church, was set on fire. Eight houses were torched yesterday. In all, 13 buildings, including the church, were destroyed”, a local Christian leader said.
Residents were quoted saying that they had fled to nearby forested hills when the military arrived Wednesday and watched from afar as the buildings went up in flames.
The anti-junta Chin Defense Force militia, an armed group formed to combat Myanmar’s military in the western state, had attacked a military convoy of around 40 vehicles and two tanks headed from Falam township to Hakha, RFA said.
“We see this as a war crime because wherever they go, they focus on wherever there are large numbers of people. It is a deliberate violation of religious freedom,” Salai Za Op Lin, deputy executive director of the India-based Chin Human Rights Organisation, said.
Op Lin noted that other Christian communities in Chin state had also been targeted since the military coup in February. “Now that the military has started a real operation in Chin state, we can expect a lot of such abuses and acts, and we urge the international community to keep a close eye on this.”
Last month, a pastor of Cung Biak Hum of Thantlang Centennial Baptist Church was shot dead while trying to help one of his congregants save their burning home after the military set it ablaze in an attack on civilians in Chin state.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, highlighted the pastor’s murder in a tweet at the time, calling on the international community to “pay closer attention” to the “living hell” that civilians have been experiencing there since a Feb. 1 coup brought back full military rule.
According to the CP, Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, including Christians, live in the various conflict zones across the country’s borders with Thailand, China, and India. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, many Christians, have been displaced due to the escalation of conflicts in the zones since the coup.
As the Burmese army has begun to use heavy weapons, the civilians in the conflict zones have sought shelter in churches when their villages are under attack.
Prior to the military coup, Myanmar’s Parliament was scheduled to hold its first session since the country’s Nov. 8 elections in which the country’s leading civilian party, National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military refused to accept the election results, and street protests and civil disobedience have been growing since then. More than 1,100 people have lost their lives due to the violent repression of protests by security forces. (Source: Christian Daily Comprehensive)
I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ b ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ (Revelation 7:14,17)
God, may Your comfort be upon the residents of Chin, who have been the targets of the military coup and are suffering significantly as a result. May You scatter the wicked strategy of the military in Myanmar and protect the civilians from their hands. Would You help the suffering churches stay strong and stand firm in their faith in Christ and follow the Lamb of God until the end? Lord, we pray that the international communities extend their helping hands to the ethnic minorities in conflict zones and provide for their needs.
Prayer 24·365
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