(Open Doors) Overwhelmed by yesterday’s coup, the church in Myanmar asks the worldwide Body of Christ to pray with them as new military government is reinstated, saying this brings back painful memories of living under military rule. Now that communications have been restored in parts of the country, we’ve been able to make contact with some of our partners in Myanmar who shared about the situation for Christians after the coup.
Myanmar (No. 18 on the 2021 World Watch List) was ruled by the military—as a military junta—from 1962 until 2011, and the rule was marked by brutal atrocities and human rights abuses. Many observers fear the coup this week will mean a return to the junta.
“It feels like our hope has been taken away,” Pastor Zay from Rakhine State tells Open Doors, “I couldn’t sleep and I cried out to God more than three times that night. Our dreams, hopes, vision and freedom are taken away. Our lifetime has been full of grief, fear and trouble under the military regime. People are suffering because of the war. Job opportunities are also difficult at the moment, and we are depressed by the military coup because we had hoped for a ceasefire.”