Myanmar Wars Emergency - Update 3
Rohingya Ethnic Cleansing, condemned by the World as Genocide, presently repeats itself in Shan and Katchin States, Myanmar. And the World responds with Silence.
Friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters,
At this time Australians are inward looking and rise up to help their heartbroken farmers in a fantastic way as they should. But who speaks for the ignored and forgotten by all humanity except for a few small Christian aid groups most people have never heard of? Who speaks for those who suffer and die in silence with literally no hope left (except in Christ), fellow Christians? Presently the world has on its hands a crisis and tragedy on the scale of that horrific Rohingya disaster that shocked us all eight months ago and that was called genocide by UN spokespeople. Quietly many people in political leadership know about their plight, but see their hands as tied, unable or unwilling to do anything. This leads to deafening silence. Some courageous, independent journalists risk their lives to tell the truth and some Christian aid groups like OPEN DOORS and the BARNABAS FUND restore some hope and do what they can.
Three kids hiding in a cave in a mountain for days after escaping and hearing the gun fire of the approaching Burmese Army. Will they be still alive?
In a Documentary on SBS a few weeks ago, journalist SIMON REEVE painted a gloomy picture mentioning that in 2017 the Burmese Army terror drove some 600,000 Rohingya’s into neighbouring Bangladesh for the whole world to witness unbelievable atrocities. So the world (UN, aid groups, governments, churches) responded with a massive aid program. However, in the mountains of Myanmar, the same Burmese Army has been doing the same thing for years now unleashing its inhumanity and cruelty with equal ferocity TO THIS DAY. And it’s even getting worse at this time! Here some 500,000 people or more (all up) are internally displaced persons, driven out of house and home, having lost everything, largely unnoticed by the world, even the church.
We know the means of warfare in ‘modern, democratic’ Myanmar: systematic killing and targeting of civilians; rape as a way of breaking people’s spirit; burning down village after village with impunity, bombing the fleeing from the air and starving others to death.
The Muslim Rohingya are suffering beyond human understanding and so do EQUALLY the largely Christian Katchins. I ask you to consider their plight. May God bless you all.
August Fricke, President AFA
The large Katchin and Shan States cover all of North East Myanmar while Chin State borders Bangladesh in the West. These are the battle fields. This is secret wars territory, heartbreak country
Latest News from Evangelist Thomas in Katchin State
"I'm sick with soaked through raining and flood. We don’t have electricity here. My phone battery is very low. We used all your support for transportation of victims (truck, cars, boats), foods, waters, medicine, plastic sheets and other needs. We are still helping them out. There are many more families coming. We still need food for victims as we don't have enough food (rice packs)."
AFA is always worried about Thomas, at times wondering whether he is alive or not. At times he is not well although he is still young. But he is now heading back into the conflict area. Again, he writes,
"I do really thank you so much with all my heart. I don’t know how much time I’ve left on this earth. However, I would still plant my apple tree today if I died tomorrow.
Rescuing People: We are rescuing as many people as we can. There is no way other than doing it illegally. We are limited in what we can do in the face of overwhelming need but we do our best in helping the people who are forgotten and have lost all hope. I always pray, Let my heart be broken with the things that break God’s heart."
MIDNIGHT ESCAPE
Escaping the torture, rape and exploitation they experience in those villages that are not burnt down yet, the Katchin people escape into the jungle under cover of darkness. This is to avoid detection and the bombings of the air force, the terror from the skies.
REFUGEES FLEEING FOR THEIR LIVES
resting in the jungle. Where will they go? Are they still alive?
NOTE: The pictures are taken by two Baptist pastors at great risk to themselves, ministers associated with Lutheran Evangelist Thomas. They are blurry and shot with cheap cameras. The reality behind these pictures is a lot worse than these photos show
The Burmese Army – the continuing Tragedy
The Army is still the old ferocious killing and torture machine in many parts of the country, a fighting force with no conscience spreading terror. It is reported that the MINISTRY OF DEFENCE and the HOME AFFAIRS Ministries in the government of Myanmar are in reality NOT under the government but under the Army itself – therefore an autonomous body. Can you believe this? Comments Evangelist Thomas, The Military is trying to take back all power and authority by causing chaos. If they lose their power they would all go to jail or be killed.
Pastor Martin from Lutheran Church of Myanmar writes,
"I've decided to go to Kachin State later this week and will visit the camps which I've visited before and share AFA relief aid with the victims of war. In most places, the government doesn't want the churches and relief organizations to help for various reasons but I will have find ways. It is dangerous to openly distribute relief."
Pastor Martin had planned to enter the forbidden exclusion zones in Katchin State by crossing into them from China but this has proved impossible as permission was not forthcoming.
Chin State (Paletwa): that other tragedy
Pastor James, Myanmar Lutheran Church, has his own people, the KHUMI PEOPLE, under attack at the opposite side of the country, near Bangladesh and the Rohingya disaster area. He tries to help the dispossessed, hurting and suffering from a separate war – another secret war. He too asked for MORE URGENT SUPPORT! He receives very little support and AFA aid is his main hope.