Burma

GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR BURMA 15 MARCH 2011

Dear friends,
Thank you for praying with us. We believe in the power of God through prayer. Let us pray together for freedom, justice, reconciliation in Burma, and that all would know God’s love.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”

GOOD NEWS IN BURMA

In the midst of suffering and oppression by the dictators of Burma, there is also good news. In many areas that before had been emptied of people by the attacking Burma Army, there are now re-established villages with rebuilt schools, clinics and churches.
This is due to the tenacity and resilience of the people and the effectiveness of the resistance.The resistance and villagers work together to slow down and in some cases even stop Burma Army attacks. The ability of the people in the areas under attack to continue to survive and thrive is amazing. With very little or no outside support they hide their food supplies, prepare hiding places, find food where they can, raise and educate their children and rebuild their homes and villages when the Burma Army
finishes its operations. When the Burma Army troops have passed by and are out of the
immediate area (although they still may be only a few hours away on foot), the people go back to their fields, barns and houses to gather any food supplies or belongings they can. They also go to hiding places where they have stored food for such an emergency. The people are prepared year-round to flee, hide and survive.
The ethnic people continue one of the most positive acts of civil disobedience in Burma.
They are building up their people, culture, land and freedom.
The following story about two young mothers who choose to live with their families in an area under direct Burma Army threat, illustrates the determination, faith and ability of the people.
Two sisters, Naw Moo Eh and Naw Rosemary tell their story “We had no food and no security. We went back on faith alone.” “The teams helped us, but eventually because
of the attacks we had to leave to another district. We always were yearning to come back home. We didn’t want to go to a refugee camp.
Everyone was suffering, and some could share their food with us and some could not. The Burma Army continued to attack and shell the villages and fields in our district, and we kept praying. Some friends were killed and some were
wounded. We were tired, hungry, and afraid. Sometimes the Burma Army shelled every day. We continued to pray, and we cried out to God to help: ‘please let us stay in our home’. Finally after praying, we all felt we should try to go home. We heard the attacks had subsided, and even though there were new Burma Army camps in the area, we wanted to try. So we prayed.
We had no food and no security. We went back on faith alone. We trusted God would provide something for us. We felt very sure He was helping us to come back. We met the resistance who told us the Burma Army had moved back a little. As we climbed over a ridge and down into the valley, to our amazement we came to a field
full of rice that had not yet been harvested. We were told that the owners of the field had fled before they could harvest, and would not be coming back. We began to harvest the rice and thanked God that we could now eat. Since then we have been back here, and we thank God and we thank you all. We have rebuilt our village. This
is our home. Thank you so much for coming and for your help.”

For the Karen people this is a happy moment for them to rebuild and setup their villages again but they know the Burmese troops will return again one day soon and take their men and rape and kill the women and children. They know it won't be long before they hear the sounds of gun shot again and the screaming of women being raped and killed.

Do our Governments around the world care about this? Do the United Nations hear the screaming of young girls as young as 5 years old being raped?

The following photos will answer your Questions.

The following photos and video's show the daily lives of what the Karen people in Burma have to go through every day of their lives. I was very lucky to live with these people for some time and learn their beautiful culture. Burma is the home for Karen people, they don't ask for anything and live a very quite life high in the mountains of the Karen State. This has been their home for hundreds of years yet every day and night they are hunted down like animals by Burmese troops and the men are taken away to be used as porters (force labour) while the women and children are raped time & time again until they have no more need for them. They are then just killed and their bodys dumped in the jungle.

A WARNING, THE FOLLOWING

PHOTOS ARE GRAPHICAL

These photos were taken after the Burmese troops came into villages shooting people and rapping the women and children. They then burn the villages down and lay land mines around the area so the Karen can't come back to rebuild.

Can you imagine a little girl like Som Sak Seta (above) being raped then Killed? CAN YOU?

Every one of us has a dream and in most cases we get to see that dream. The Karen people have a dream to. They dream that one day all Karen people will be free and that they can go back to their homes and be the beautiful people that they are. This song is for all Karen people.

Burmese Army Shoots Five-Month Old Baby In Attack On Karen Village.

23 March 2010.
On 22nd March a five month old baby boy, a five year old girl, and a 37 year old woman were killed in an attack by the Burmese Army on Khaw Hta village, Kler Lwe Htoo District (Nyaung Lin Bin District in Burmese), Karen State.

According to a local villager, Burmese Army Battalion 369 entered the village at 4.30pm and opened fire without warning, shooting at any villager in sight and firing into villager’s homes, which are made from bamboo. The villagers fled into the jungle. Nine houses were also destroyed.

The three people killed are; Naw La Pwe, 37 years old and the mother of six children; Naw Paw Bo (5 years old); and Saw Htee P’Lar Htoo (5 months old). Another woman, Naw Pa Lah (27 years old and a mother) was seriously injured.

The people of the village are now hiding in the jungle, and the Burmese Army remains active in the area.

Attacks on Karen villagers have been increasing since 17th January this year. More than 2,500 people were forced to flee their homes after attacks in two areas in Karen State. In one attack a child was killed and two others injured when the Burmese Army fired a mortar bomb at a school.

On March 5th the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma published a report describing the attacks on civilians as so serious, with responsibility going to the top of the dictatorship, that the United Nations should set up a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the dictatorship.

On 24th March Mark Lyall Grant, the UK Representative to the United Nations, stated that the UK would support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.

“Day after day these attacks continue and are largely ignored by the international community,” said Zoya Phan, International Coordinator at Burma Campaign UK. “Burma’s generals are breaking international law, but the United Nations has not even set up an Inquiry to investigate these crimes, let alone prosecute those responsible. A UN Commission of Inquiry should be set up immediately.”