KALADAN NEWS

 

Dated: Tuesday, January 25, 2005

 

 

Ethnic groups condemned Junta’s brutality against religion in Burma

 

New Delhi, Jan 25: Ethnic groups of Burma staged a rally in New Delhi, the capital of India against SPDC’s brutalities on religion in Burma yesterday.

 

Chin Community based in New Delhi organized the rally and staged demonstration in front of Burmese Embassy at about 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, condemning the State Peace and Development Council’s (SPDC) practice of religious persecution against Christianity in Chin State.

 

Some Chin community leaders, Chin Christian posters, Daw Maw Li from Burmese Women Union (BWU) and Myint Hla, a Muslim member of Burma Lawyer Council (BLC) delivered speeches in the rally.

 

According to Mr. Tin Soe, a Rohingya intern at the office of Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) in New Delhi, a Chin ethnic groups staged the rally with a banner of “on Religious Persecution and Forced Conversion of Chins” in the Chin State of Burma at Jantar Mantar Square of New Delhi.

 

They called upon all communities of Burma to condemn and intervene to put an end on such deliberate abuses of Human Rights.

 

They also urged for immediate end of the SPDC’s polices on religious persecution, forced conversion and desecration of religious institutions and demanded to free all the pastors’ Church leaders Evangelist and Missionaries and other religious leaders.

 

Ahh Me, a Chin, read out a statement in the rally about blatant abuses of human rights across the Burma, especially in the area of Christians and Muslims. The statement mostly based on destroying of a Cross that sat at the top of mount Boi, south of Mattupi Township of Chin State for last two decades.

 

On the 3rd of January 2005, this Cross (a religious symbol of the Christian) of 50 ft and 15x5 cubic ft. in Matupi Township, was destroyed by the command of Col. San Aung of the Military Infantry Battalion No.304 in Chin State, Burma, while several villagers were subject to physical torture during this brutal operation.

 

Forcibly converting from Christianity to Buddhism, destroying of worshiping places and erecting of Buddhist pagodas and monasteries in every spots in Chin State is increasing.

 

Respect human rights and redress cases of human rights violations and abuses. Bring to records and take action against personnel of Battalion No. 304 who committed the crimes in Matupi on 3rd January 2005, demanded by the participants of the rally.

 

There were many Chin ethnic groups participated in the rally while the ethnic Shan and ethnic Rohingya were among the participants. # #

 

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