FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 6, 2007
Worldwide Chin Communities Condemn Religious Persecution in Burma and Urge UN Investigation
Worldwide Chin communities endorse CSW report and support the introduction of an Early Day Motion in the British House of Commons urging the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief to investigate.
The undersigned members of the Chin community heartily endorse the recently released report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) entitled Carrying the Cross: The Military Regime’s Campaign of Restriction, Discrimination, and Persecution Against Christians in Burma. As representatives of the worldwide Chin community, we strongly support the introduction of an Early Day Motion in the British House of Commons urging the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief to investigate violations of religious freedoms in Burma.
We commend CSW’s comprehensive report and graciously thank CSW for giving a voice to and demanding justice for persecuted Chin Christians and other religious minority groups in Burma.
Burma is a country characterized by its religious and ethnic diversity. The two Union constitutions of post independent Burma thus recognized a degree of religious freedom for all citizens. And religious freedom is a universally accepted fundamental human right to which all human beings are entitled. As a member of the international community, Burma is obliged to respect a universal norm of human rights, including the right to freedom of religion and other fundamental human freedoms.
Burma’s military regime has no moral or legal justification for persecuting Chin Christians on the basis of their religious affiliation or ethnic identity. There is no moral basis for the junta to use the name of any religion, including Buddhism to which it claims to adhere, to justify the persecution of other religions. It is an insult to Buddhism itself, a religion of peace and compassion, for the Burmese military regime to use it as a disguise to achieve political objectives by persecuting people of non-Buddhist religion.
Evidence shows that the Burmese military regime has been systematically persecuting Chin Christians for the past several years. The Chins understand that tearing down Christian crosses and other Christian landmarks and replacing them with Buddhist shrines in our own homeland by the Burmese military regime is an act of tyranny and a symbol of colonialism. Thus, we, the Chin people from all over the world, strongly condemn these forms of oppression and call on the State Peace and Development Council to immediately stop all human rights abuses, including persecution of people on the basis of their religious and ethnic identity.
Chin Baptist Fellowship of America
Chin Christian Fellowship (Denmark)
Chin Church & Community (Melbourne, Australia)
Victoria Chin Baptist Church (Australia)
Chin National Council
Chin Forum (www.chinforum.org)
Chin Freedom Coalition
Chin National Community – Japan
Chin Community in Norway
Chin National Organization (Korea)
Chin Student Union (India & North America)
Chin Student Organization (Malaysia)
MEDIA NOTE:
Chin Baptist Fellowship of America is Comprise with 13 Chin Churches in USA and Canada, and Chin National Council is an umbrella organization for 4 political parties including Chin National League for Democracy, Mara People Party, Zomi National Congress who have contested and won some seats in Chin State during 1990 General Election in Burma, and several civil society organizations including Women League of Chinland and Chin Human Rights Organization.
For More Information, Please contact:
* Pastor Val Thang of Chin Baptist Fellowship of America
(In USA at Tel: 317-784 1468, Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Or Rev. Dr. Duh Kam at 240-626 7389, Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
* Salai Kipp Kho Lian, Secretary of Chin Forum
(in Germany at Tel: 49-40-6556944 Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
* Salai Van Lian Thang of Chin National Council
(in India at 91(0)9862066398 Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
* Pu Thang Hlun, Chairman of Norway Chin Community
(in Norway Phone 47 988 42 473, email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
* Salai Lian Hmung Chairman of Chin Community Melbourne, Australia (Email at [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
* Pu Dong Khan Khup, Secretary of Chin Freedom Coalition
(at Tel: 443-629 3329, Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
* Pu Nang Lian Thang, Chairman of Chin National Community in Japan
At Tel: 035 6259056, Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
* Pi Cheery Zahau, Women League of Chinland at [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
* Salai Za Uk Ling of Chin Human Rights Organization
( in Malaysia at 60-1737-45546, Email: [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )