Christians in the beleaguered nation of Myanmar are facing renewed bouts of persecution at the hands of the country’s military regime.
Myanmar experienced a military coup in 2021, and while the military only controls a portion of the nation’s land area, it holds almost 90 percent of seats in parliament following a sham election earlier this month.
The military has a reputation of war crimes against civilians, especially if they happen to be Christians, according to a report from Premier Christian News.
Dr. Salai Maung Taing San — a leading Christian politician often known as just Dr. Sasa — said in an interview with the outlet that persecution is ramping up against Christians and members of the Chin ethnic group.
“They raped women. They torture our parents. They destroyed crosses,” he described.
“If you are Chin and Christian… you don’t get education, you don’t get healthcare,” he continued. “We are like second-class citizens.”
Dr. Sasa added that many attacks are not even tracked since churches are not officially registered in Myanmar.
“They destroy it… and there’s no record of that church,” he said.
Dr. Sasa was named a senior government official on Feb. 1, 2021 — the day of the military coup.
“I looked outside the window around 5 am. I saw the armed forces. They had weapons, destroying our buildings and our streets. I wish it were a dream,” he recounted.
“I had to escape the valley of death, as I call it. Since then, almost 8,000 civilians have been killed by the military regime, and more than 22,000 political prisoners have been arrested, including Aung San Suu Kyi, our leader.”
Dr. Sasa said there are now 5 million “homeless and displaced” people in his nation, while another 22 million “need lifesaving assistance.”
He now serves in the National Unity Government, which operates in exile and is broadly considered the legitimate government of Myanmar, according to Premier Christian News.
Myanmar ranks 14th in the world with respect to persecution of Christians, according to Christian ministry Open Doors.
The persecution has indeed worsened since the coup.
“Many Christians have been caught in the crossfire, particularly in ethnic minority areas, with believers killed, churches bombed and villages destroyed,” Open Doors said.
“Thousands have been displaced, and an earthquake in March killed more than 3,600 people and forced even more from their homes.”
Fellow citizens of Myanmar also view Buddhism as crucial to their national identity, resulting in further difficulties for the Christian minority.
They are often forced to participate in Buddhist rituals, denied ID cards, refused access to basic services like water, and banned from sharing the gospel.
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