Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Banmaw (Agenzia Fides) - The Burmese military army continues violence against civilians and do not spare the churches: this is what Fides sources denounce in the diocese of Banmaw in northern Mynamar, where a bloody war against ethnic Kachin minorities, about one million indigenous people, mostly Christians continues.
A source of the local church in Banmaw is concerned and tells Fides the latest episodes of extreme violence: last Sunday, October 16, a battalion of the army took control of the Catholic church in the village of Namsan Yang, in the municipality of Waimaw, where about twenty faithful, especially women and elderly, had gathered for Sunday Mass. "The army used the compound of the church as a base, in an area where there was fighting", explains the source. A catechist, Jangma Awng Li, who knows the Burmese language, tried to talk with military leaders, but he was brutally beaten. He and four other men were handcuffed and arrested by the soldiers (and released after a few days). The troops continued their advance, using Christian civilians for forced labor and then camped in the compund of a Baptist church, always in the Waimaw area. Before releasing them, the soldiers burned the church properties of both churches.
The faithful of the village, almost all Christians, were expelled, some beaten and forced to work. A 19 year old girl was taken and suffered a group rape on behalf of soldiers.
"I learned of the killing of at least six civilians in past weeks", says the source of Fides. "The violence of the military continues and the Kachin police perceive it as ethnic cleansing. The refugees are increasing. We do not understand the strategy of the Burmese government. The question is: does it want to ensure human rights, justice and equality to the citizens of ethnic minorities who live in the country?". After blocking the works of the Myitsone dam, on the Irrawaddy River, one hoped for a change, but "the situation remains severe, the Kachin people do not trust the government, which has only made promises".
The violence, also documented by the Christian NGO "Christian Solidarity Worldwide" (CSW), continues: in Momauk, approximately 500 IDPs have sought refuge in a church. In a note sent to Fides, CSW said: "These brutal attacks on civilians and religious communities are in stark contrast to the recent rhetoric of the regime on the reform and peace-building. Rapes, forced labor and elimination of civilians are crimes against humanity. We urge President Thein Sein to cease attacks and to declare a ceasefire, in order to begin a serious process of national reconciliation". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2011)
