Myanmar 2
February 6th

“Myanmar welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit and became imitators of the Lord!”
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit(1 Thessalonians 1:6,NIV)

》 Country Profile

Continent | Southeast Asia
Population | 57.97 million
Area | 676,578㎢ Located in southwestern Asia between India, China, and Thailand.
Capital City | Naypyidaw (5.51 million people)
Poeple Groups | 149 total Burmese 57.4%, Shan 8.3%, Karen 6.2%, Rakhine 5%, Mon-Khmer 2.1%, Chinese 2%, Indian 2%
Unreached People Groups | 52 (83.4% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Burmese (Myanmar)
Total Languages ​​| 137
Bible translations | Completed 61, New Testament 20, Partial 17
Religion | Christianity 8.3% (Protestant 5%, Independent church 1.3%), Buddhism 78%, Ethnic religions 6.9%, Islam 4.8%, Hinduism 1.5% Evangelical 4.9% 2.81 million people

》 About Myanmar

Myanmar, originally centered around the Bamar people, traces its history back to the “Early Bagan Dynasty,” founded in 849 AD by people who migrated south from China’s Yunnan Province. Myanmar became a British colony in 1885 and was part of British India. It separated from India in 1937 to become a British-controlled territory and gained full independence in 1948. In 1962, General Ne Win led a coup that began decades of military rule.
In response to the military government, citizens staged the “8888 Uprising” on August 8, 1988. Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the democracy movement, was placed under house arrest. Although her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won the 1990 election, the military annulled the results and Aung San Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest. In 2015, the NLD’s victory ended 53 years of military dictatorship, but after winning again in the 2020 election, the military claimed fraud and launched a coup in February 2021. The military arrested NLD leaders and transferred power to General Min Aung Hlaing, marking a return to military rule. In the ensuing protests, more than 2,000 people were killed and thousands were detained.

Myanmar’s economy has about 26% of its population living in poverty. The government has focused on improving agricultural productivity, accelerating land reforms, modernizing and opening the financial sector, and developing transportation and electricity infrastructure. Until 2020, Myanmar had potential for foreign investment in energy, textiles, IT, and food and beverage sectors, thanks to its abundant natural resources and young workforce. However, the military coup and COVID-19 have reversed economic progress, leaving the people struggling with severe challenges in food security, health, and education. Myanmar’s GDP per capita is approximately $4,500

》 Scripture Focus

》 Prayer Points

1. In February 2021, Myanmar’s military staged a coup under the pretext of election fraud and has since ruled the country with brutal violence. The ongoing political and economic crisis, along with reduced grain production and rising food prices, has worsened the economic situation in Myanmar. The military’s violent suppression of widespread protests and resistance has resulted in many civilian casualties. Clashes between the military and rebel groups, as well as aerial bombardments of certain ethnic groups and regions, have created large numbers of refugees.
Many people have been suffering from extreme poverty and fear since the coup, with no apparent solution in sight. Let us pray that the Lord will take control of the situation in Myanmar. Pray that the military will give up their greed and turn to God to escape the wrath of judgment that awaits them. Let us pray also that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will spread throughout Myanmar, leading many to believe in the true and living God and receive salvation.

2. The Rohingya Muslim population faces severe religious persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the government. The Rohingya, a minority group who migrated from Bangladesh during British rule, have been considered illegal immigrants by Myanmar since its independence in 1948. They have faced systematic discrimination, with their citizenship, education, housing, and freedom of movement all revoked. The Rohingya have lived as stateless refugees for decades, and many flee Myanmar by boat, only to be rejected by most countries and left adrift at sea. Let us pray that the Rohingya will hear the gospel and know God’s saving power in their desperate situation.

3. Myanmar is one of the world’s largest producers of drugs and relies heavily on the underground economy, including large-scale drug trafficking. It also has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in Asia, following Cambodia and Thailand. HIV infection rates, particularly among women and the next generation, are rising, with 11,000 to 35,000 people dying from AIDS each year. Let us pray that Myanmar will turn away from its dark reality and choose the path of faith, returning to the Lord.
Since the 2021 coup, the education system in Myanmar has collapsed. Extreme poverty has also impacted education, with many high school students joining the resistance as fighters. Additionally, many teachers have left their jobs to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), leading to the breakdown of public education. Students who do attend school with volunteer teachers are still at risk of military violence. Let us pray for grace upon Myanmar’s youth, that they may hear the gospel even in these extreme trials, and that they may grow up to be followers of Christ, dreaming of the revival of God’s kingdom.

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