Burma: Christians face systemic persecution
13 Sep 2012Burma doesn't seem to have made as many advances as it first appeared in a year of change. This was the conclusion of The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) which released a new report last week. According to their findings, Christian Chin from western Burma are denied religious freedom and face coercion to convert to Buddhism. They're not alone. Dyann Romeijn of Vision Beyond Borders says, ‘The report is specifically about the Chin and the persecution that they face, but we're seeing the same things throughout all the ethnic groups in Burma.’ CHRO exposed a decades-long pattern of religious freedom violations and human rights abuses including forced labour and torture which has led thousands to flee their homeland. Romeijn says ‘along with the abused Chin are members of the Kachin tribes and the Karen. It's bad for everyone. All the same policies that were in place before continue; the Kachin in northern Burma are being highly persecuted.’
Pray: for the protection of God's people against those who persecute them. (Ps.9:13)
More: http://www.mnnonline.org/article/17664
Burma: Christians face deadly attacks
10 Dec 2011On November 30th as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Burma to support Burma's apparent reforms to discuss minority rights, government troops killed civilians and burned houses 450 miles away in Christian majority state Kachin. Soldiers fired four rounds of mortar shells at civilians killing a woman and injuring six other villagers in Waingmaw Township, a battalion burned down ten homes in Nam Wai village and five in Hpa Ke village. The killing and arson followed two explosions that killed a student and injured another the previous night in Myitkyina. Local residents suspected government agents planted the bombs. The twin blasts rocked the state capital days after an explosion killed seven children and three internally displaced Kachin people and injured 16 children at an orphanage. Two sons and a grandson of a Christian couple who run the orphanage in their home were among those killed, but police arrested the family, alleging they had detonated it.
Pray: for the Burmese authorities to honour their agreement to implement minority rights reforms. (Am.5:24)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/burma/article_124091.html
Burma: Army accused of commandeering Church
15 Sep 2011Kachin Christians have accused Burma's military of violating their religious rights after government troops seized control of the Katsu Kachin Baptist Church in the village of Katsu, transforming it into a military outpost complete with fortifications, trenches and land mines. ‘They took over the church in Katsu village and started fortifying it,’ said Mai Li Awng, spokesperson for a local Kachin relief group. ‘They have banned local villagers from going to the church or moving around the area. It's not appropriate to take over a church and turn it into a military base. It's a human rights abuse.’ Members of the church sent a letter to Kachin State Chief Minister La John Ngan. ‘We therefore respectfully would like to urge the Kachin State Chief Minister to remove the mines, give us the normal situation around the church as before and the right to travel safely to farms and paddy fields by taking necessary actions’.
Pray: that the ongoing abuse by the military authorities against Christians would cease. (Ps54:2)
More: http://www.worthynews.com/10941-burmese-army-accused-of-commandeering-kachin-church
Burma: 'Prayer is the air we breathe'
14 Mar 2011
While global attention remains focused on uprisings in the Middle East, Christians around the world on Sunday, March 13, will be praying for the country of Burma, also known as Myanmar. Burma's military regime has committed just about every human rights atrocity imaginable against ethnic minorities and Christians. Government attacks during the past 18 months have caused more than 100,000 ethnic Chin Christians to flee to neighbouring India. Overall, an estimated 200,000 ethnic Burmese are living in refugee camps. More than one million are internally displaced. Missionary David Eubank met pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in 1996. Her request? She asked him to pray for Burma. In response, Eubank started an annual global day of prayer for the nation the following year, and founded a humanitarian relief group called the Free Burma Rangers. 'Most of our people are believers and our job is to give immediate help' he said. Pray: for the people of Burma that God would intervene and bring freedom for all people. (Is.59:1) More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/March/Free-Burma-Prayer-is-the-Air-We-Breathe/
Lebanon's national unity government has collapsed after 11 ministers from Hezbollah and its allies resigned. Energy Minister Gibran Bassil said the decision was prompted by a dispute over the UN tribunal investigating former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's murder. The announcement came as Prime Minister Saad Hariri, his son, was meeting US President Barack Obama in Washington. Tension has been high in Lebanon, amid indications that Hezbollah members could be indicted by the UN tribunal. The Canadian broadcaster, CBC, reported in November that evidence gathered by the Lebanese police and the UN pointed ‘overwhelmingly to the fact that the assassins were from Hezbollah’. Hezbollah has rejected any suggestion of involvement in the assassination. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has called the tribunal an ‘Israeli project’ and warned of dire consequences if it indicts his followers. Pray: against any violence in Lebanon and a release to this political deadlock. (Pr.15:18)
On June 13th the NY Times reported, ‘Protests by an increasingly forceful movement against increases in bus fares shook Brazil’s two largest cities on Thursday night, the fourth time in a week that activists have taken to the streets in demonstrations that have been marked by clashes with security forces.’ Since then the violence has steadily worsened to encompass more than 100,000 people sweeping through at least a dozen major cities on Monday night. Protesters are calling for better public services and an end to corruption. With organisers planning further protests the authorities appear to be uncertain what to do next. Police in some regions cracked down hard.
Pray: for President Dilma Rousseff to recognize what steps to take in addressing corruption, and ending the demonstrations peacefully. (Ps.17:19-20)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/18/brazil-protests-authorities-back-foot
Brazil: Drought
23 Oct 2010
Brazil has extended emergency drought measures across the Amazon State as key waterways and rivers are completely parched in the worst drought in decades. The seven months drought has affected 40,000 people in communities depending on the rainforest for sustenance and the government has airlifted six tonnes of food and 200 tonnes of donations to 25 stricken villages. Aid delivery has been slow due to the low water levels in rivers preventing large vessels from navigating them, consequently transportation can only be done by canoe. In some places, people are running out of food and many people are suffering intestinal problems caused by poor water quality. The drought is an extreme weather event resulting from El Nino in late 2009 with its fallout being felt this year. Pray: for God to show entrepreneurs, farmers and governments His way forward as they work with the earth's resources. (Ps.65:9) More: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/10/2010101704539981971.html
Botswana: South African outreach
23 Jun 2011
A month of outreach by South African Christians in areas where ancestral spirit worship is very strong has been blessed with 2,600 people giving their lives to Christ. Praise God! The organisers of this outreach have asked for prayer for the new Christians needing discipling to know the leading of God's Holy Spirit. Pray also for the local churches working under very difficult circumstances with no regular financial income, some without transport walking long distances between villages to do follow-up visits to cattle posts and small hamlets. They are doing this because they believe and know that there is eternal life after death and they want to guide and teach their people about these things. Pray for God to give them the courage and endurance to continue working in the Lord’s harvest field.
Pray: for Africa's most stable country with relative freedom from corruption and good human rights records would see powerful spiritual revival. (Is.44:2-4)