Burma's Forgotten People

Burma: April 21, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)



With elections being held in Burma later this year the country’s “forgotten people” are appealing to the rest of the world for help, according to a report by the BBC.

The Chin people live mainly in the hilly west of the country near the Indian border, are one of the most persecuted minority groups in Burma.  Yet their plight is little known in the rest of the world.

Christian Persecution

The Chin are mainly Christians, having converted to the faith when the British ruled the area before independence after World War II.

The persecution of the Chin dates back to the military takeover of Burma in the 1960s.

According to the US State Department, Burmese troops and officials have tried to forcibly convert the Chin from Christianity to Buddhism.

They have also destroyed churches, and arrested and even killed Christian Chin clergy, who now often work undercover.

The Chin also suffer from acute food shortages.

The United Nation’s believes that food consumption in Chin State is the lowest in Burma.  In recent years food shortages have been further exacerbated by a plague of rats, which have devastated Chin crops.

There is little in the way of medical facilities in Chin State. Villagers told the BBC that they had not seen a doctor for 10 years.

Burma’s military rulers intend to hold an election later this year, but most opposition leaders are banned from taking part.

The most famous is Aun Sang Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in the elections of 1990.

Burma’s military leaders refused to accept the results and she has spent most of the last two decades in detention. The NLD says it will boycott these elections.

Amnesty International has warned that ethnic groups, like the Chin, Karen, and Karenni face increased repression at the hands of the Burmese military.

The Burmese regime has previously denied repressing the mostly Christian ethnic groups.

www.christianfreedom.org