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Silent Protest in Delhi, India (r)



Christian Chins in Delhi held silent protest
( Chin Students Union )

September 28, Delhi,Christian Chins in exile in India in New Delhi today 
held a silent protest against the religious persecution back home in Chin 
State, at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital. More than one hundred 
activists participated in the rally which lasted from 11:00 Am. to 1:00 p.m.

Marching along the Parliament Street in central New Delhi, the activists 
carried placards and banners calling for the immediate halt of Christian 
persecution and the release of two Baptist  pastors and all Christian 
prisoners in Chin State who were recently arrested by the Burmese military 
for allegedly being responsible for the disappearence of a soldier from LIB 
266 who deserted his unit while on patrol in rural Chin State of Thantlang 
township.

In a Statement which was sent to the Burmese Embassy and a copy of which was 
sent to the US Embassy in New Delhi, called for the SPDC to respect 
religious freedom of minorities and to unconditionally release the pastors 
and all village headmen and block chairmen of Thantlang town.

Muslims and Buddhists community from Burma also joined the protest and 
addressed the gathering that it is not Buddhism that is persecuting other 
religion but the military government that does it.

The Chin Human Rights Organization, in its latest inside report said that, 
all village PDC members in 12 village of Zahnak tract in Thantlang township 
were arrested and taken to Hakha, the capital, and jailed following a 
disappearance of soldier who reportedly deserted his unit in June this year.

The report also revealed the arrest of Rev. Thawng Kam, General Secretary of 
Thantlang Baptist Association of Baptist Churches (TABC) and Rev. Biak 
Kam,(60), a senior pastor of Thantlang Baptist Church by the Burmese army. 
They were reportedly taken to Lungler Army outpost in the Indian border at 
night on 7 September 1999 after which nothing was heard about them.