Burmese Church Follows Jesus Despite Military Persecution
May 31st

Churches and missionaries boldly proclaim the gospel despite ongoing persecution

Myanmar gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Since then, the military dictatorship has continued, beginning with the coup by General Ne Win in 1962. Citizens opposed to the military government started the so-called “8888 Protest” on August 8, 1988. Aung San Suu Kyi, who led democratization, was placed under house arrest, but the National League for Democracy(NLD) formed by Suu Kyi won in the 1990 general election.

However, the military nullified the election results, keeping her under house arrest for a total of fifteen years since 1989. When the NLD secured another victory in 2015, the 53-year military dictatorship came to an end. Twenty-five percentof the parliamentary seats were allocated to the military under the 2008 Constitution, along with the right to nominate ministers of three major ministries, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Border Affairs.

In the general election of November 2020, the NLD won again, but in February 2021, the military claimed election fraud and staged a coup, detaining NLD leaders and transferring power to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar returned to military dictatorship after five years. As citizens resisted and protested, the military responded with indiscriminate violence and shootings, resulting in 1,779 deaths and over 13,000 arrests and detentions by February 2022.

Of Myanmar’s 55 million population, 4.4 million, or 8%, are Christians. Other religions include Buddhism at 76.3%, ethnic religion at 8.1%, and Islam at 3.6%. Nearly 5% of Christians are evangelicals, and most Christians are from relatives and the Karen. There are many Bible schools all over the country, and indigenous church founders and missionaries have boldly proclaimed the gospel. Despite persecution by the government and Buddhist forces, the church is growing.

Myanmar ranked 24th on the World Watch List for Christian persecution in 2018 but rose to 12th place in 2022 following the military coup. In Christian-populated areas such as Karen, Kachin, Shan, and Chin States, the military has carried out destruction and massacres. The United Nations Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that by March 2022, there were 912,700 internally displaced persons across Myanmar. Of these, 566,100 were displaced after the February 2021 coup, while 346,021 had fled conflicts in Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, and Shan States even before the coup. OCHA reported that for the first time, more than 300,000 people were displaced in the northwest, including Chin, Sagaing, and Magway States, as the military carried out a scorched-earth campaign. At least 8,262 homes and other private assets, such as churches, schools, and markets, were burned or destroyed, mainly in these regions and Kayah State.

The number of impoverished people in Myanmar has surged to 22 million, or 40% of the population. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that daily living expenses for the poor fall below 1,590 kyat (approximately one U.S. dollar). Education has also collapsed. After the coup, many teachers protested by joining the civil disobedience movement and left schools. In November 2021, the military reopened schools under armed guard, but there remain severe teacher shortages, and less than half of the students have returned to school. Public distrust in the education system is evident in the plummeting enrollment rates; the number of candidates taking the Myanmar University Entrance Exam in March 2022 was only 30% of the previous year.

Prayer requests to be strong and not discouraged in Christ

In 2021, A Burmese minister of Voice of the Martyrs said that Myanmar had the most glorious period in modern history when the military lost power in the 2015 national election. He also said, “Regardless of skin color, religion, language, or race, the people of Myanmar enjoyed freedom of religion and expression.” However, on February 1, 2021, when the military took control of the government, that      
era came to an end, and the minister said, “The situation seems uncertain from a political perspective, but one thing we know for sure is that Jesus is still our King. Nothing happens to us that Jesus doesn’t know or allow. Please support us with prayers. Please pray to God to intervene in our political situation. Please pray that peace will spread throughout our country rather than bloodshed. Please pray that instead of being discouraged or perplexed, Burmese Christians will continue to be strong in Christ and move forward joyfully and boldly in their journey of life.”

A Karen human rights organization reported that between February 2021 and January 2022, around 35 churches were destroyed in Chin State and about 12 churches in Kayah State. The two states are regions where many Christians in Myanmar live. With pastors as targets, churches were destroyed, and Christians were murdered. More Christians than ever before have been forced into refugee camps, where they are often denied food and medical care due to their faith.

On Christmas Eve 2021, the Burmese government forces burned at least 35 refugees alive in a village in Kayah State, including elderly people, women, and children. At the time, a local resident said, “Burned bodies and children’s and women’s clothing were scattered everywhere.” A pastor from Karen State expressed concern that “the military deliberately attacks sacred churches to suppress the Christian spirit.”

In Wa State, along Myanmar’s eastern border with China, Christians have faced extreme persecution since 2018 under the autonomous rule of the Communist United Wa State Party.  Most church buildings have been destroyed or confiscated, and nearly all pastors have been imprisoned in the past two years. A local minister reported to Voice of the Martyrs, “Many pastors fear sharing the gospel because of threats of murder or imprisonment.” Christian leaders in the area have concluded that replacing traditional churches with underground home churches is the best strategy. They are actively training local pastors, encouraging them to overcome fear, and equipping church planters to establish home churches.

》Prayer Points

1. Let us trust and give thanks to God, who sees the pain, suffering, and sorrow that Myanmar has endured. Since 1962, the military regime has held onto power, and after the 2022 coup, it has sought to maintain control by indiscriminately killing civilians and devastating the nation. Let us pray against the evil spirit of disobedience working behind them. During a brief period of democracy, churches and missionaries boldly proclaimed the gospel. May the power of the gospel continue to work within the believers, strengthening them with unshakable faith so that they will not retreat even in the face of military attacks and massacres, but instead overcome the world with victory in Christ.

3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.(1 John 5:3-5,NIV)

2. Many Christians in Myanmar have long faced persecution and expulsion from their own families, relatives, villages, and ethnic groups. Most believers come from minority groups such as the Karen, Kachin, Chin, and Shan, and they have also been targeted by Burmese Buddhists. Let us pray for God’s protection over the believers who have been forced to flee due to attacks and threats. May He be with them always, guide them, and keep them safe wherever they seek refuge.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.(Psalms 23:4-6,NIV)

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