Originally written by Matt Vandeleest
The Forgotten People of Burma (Myanmar)
Since the early 1960’s the people groups of Burma have been severally oppressed by a brutal military regime. For much of that time the people Burma it seems have been forgotten not only by the world, but also by their own government. With some of the people groups in Burma completely cut off from outsiders and support from the government, if an outsider wants to gain access to these remote people groups they not only have to hike for days through extremely tough terrain, but they also have to get special permission from the government.
Those living in urban areas are subjected to extreme work conditions, lack of food, and inadequate shelter, these extreme conditions have forced children as young as nine and ten to work instead of going to school, in order to bring a little bit of food home for their families. These condition have created a cycle of poverty, which not only keeps people from going to school so they can improve their lives, but also keeps them from having the most basic amenities, such as clean running water, food, electricity, proper bathrooms etc.
Although there are and have been major barriers for missionaries to gain access to the people of Burma, there still remains a very strong Christian base in the Northern areas of the country which dates back to the famous missionary Adoniram Judson who was the first Protestant missionary to enter Burma in 1813. Even though missionaries have served in Burma since the 19th century much of the country still lays in darkness because of the brutal oppressive government. It is estimated that over 80% of the Burmese’s population adhere to Buddhism, with the monks of the country being revered something extra worldly by the Brumes people.
Since the 1960’s the government has openly stated that they have a freedom of religion policy, but the actions of the government have been the complete opposite. When the government took over the Christian minority was targeted, at times the military in remote areas used rape, tortured, murder and forced labor to suppress the Christian minorities. The military also put into place unofficially that any military personnel that successfully converted a Christian to Buddhism (by whatever method) would be rewarded with promotions and money.
In 2010 the government banned independent house Church, put Pastors and church leaders into prison, burned church buildings and the homes of Christian, then displaced them by forcing the Christians to move to government approved areas.
In recent years there has been a change in government, with a loosing of the borders allowing more and more foreigners to enter the country, but there are still many hurdles that must to overcome for Christians to openly preach the Gospel. According to Voice of the Martyrs Burma is still considered a restricted country that is hostile to Christianity.
Sources: www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific. Voice of the Martyrs-restricted nations
