Violence and Turmoil in Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) is one of the largest Buddhist nations in the world. They are a nation in turmoil and our heart weeps for them.

On February 1, the Myanmar military staged a coup, claiming the results of the November 2020 election that was won by the democratic party were not valid. The military declared a year-long state of emergency, and detained democratic party leaders.

Immediately, anti-coup protests began in the city of Yangon and elsewhere in the country. The military has responded with severe violence. In the last three months, over 700 people have been killed throughout the nation, including children and youth. Over 3,300 people have been detained. Access to telephone and internet communications has been severely restricted or cut completely. By April, expatriates including cross-cultural Christian workers were asked to evacuate.

After a year of economic struggle in Myanmar due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the coup has prompted an accompanying financial crisis with increasing job loss and rising food prices. The United Nations anticipates that in the next three to six months, millions will suffer from hunger and the inability to purchase food. Nearly 250,000 people are displaced, including thousands who have fled from their homes because of military ground attacks and airstrikes. The current situation also has the potential to cause increased displacement of refugees along the border of Thailand.

In one city, a group of local Christians has moved into their church building for safety, since the walls are thicker than the walls of their homes. Join us this month as we pray for the nation of Myanmar and our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering.