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Statement of CNLD (r)
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<b>STATEMENT ON SPDC's ARREST OF REV. M.THAWNG KAM AND REV. BIAK KAM AND
DESECRATION AND PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANITY IN CHIN STATE, BURMA<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</b>1. Burma is multi-national and Multi-religion State in which all
nationalities have been living together for centuries even before the
birth of the Union of Burma.<br>
<br>
2. "Article No. (21/3) of the constitution of 1947 states? The state
shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the
ground of religious or belief.<br>
<br>
3. Burma also signed in United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights in 1948. 'Article 18 of the declaration states, "Everyone has
the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right
includes freedom of change his religion or belief, and freedom, either
alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and
observance."<br>
<br>
4. However, Buddhism was introduced as the State religion in Burma in
1960. Nevertheless, it failed.<br>
<br>
5. Following General Ne Win's coup det'at in 1962, the country
became a <br>
unitary state under one-party rule of BSPP and all foreign pastors,
evangelists and missionaries were told to leave Burma.' <br>
<br>
<br>
6. After military Junta killed thousands of pro-democracy
demonstrators in 1988, has again renewed its long initiated policy to
make Burma a Buddhist state.'<br>
<br>
7. State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) destroyed the crosses,
which are setup by Chin Christians in Chin State as symbols of their
faith and replaced them with Buddhist pagodas. According to the order by
SPDC, the army personnel, who married with Chin Christians young ladies,
got pay increase and those who can convert their wives to Buddhism got
promotion.<br>
<br>
<br>
8. The religious persecution is being mounted upon Chin Christians till
today. In Thantlang town, Chin State, a Baptist Church pastor Rev Biak
Kam and Thantlang Association Baptist Churches (TABC) General Secretary
Rev. M. Thawng Kam were arrested on September 7,1999 and detained after
the US State department released its annual report for 1999 on
International Religious Freedom that mentions the religious persecution
against Chin Christians in Burma."<br>
<br>
5. Therefore, The Chin National League for Democracy strongly,<br>
<br>
-Condemns the SPDC's religious persecution upon Chin Christians in Chin
State.<br>
-Urges the SPDC to stop immediately its religious persecution and demand
unconditionally release of two Reverends.<br>
-Urge the SPDC to immediately cede power to the people elected
representtives.<br>
<br>
<br>
Executive Committee<br>
Chin National League for Democracy<br>
<br>
September 28, 1999<br>
<br>
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