Skip to content

Christians persecuted in Myanmar too, stripped of citizenship

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
In Myanmar, Buddhism is infused with nationalism.

Followers of news events in Asia are well aware that Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a hotbed of religious strife between Buddhists and Muslims. However, it is less well-known that Christians are also subject to religious persecution in the strife-ridden country.

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
12/23/2013 (1 decade ago)

Published in Asia Pacific

Keywords: Myanmar, Buddhism, oppression, Christianity, Islam, threat, violence

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A story in UCANews tells about Naing Ki, a citizen of Myanmar who is being increasingly marginalized because of his conversion to Baptist Christianity. The persecution of Christians in the primarily Buddhist state is common and Christian minorities in some places, particularly in rural villages, is intense.

Naing Ki told UCAN that brick were thrown at his house, how he is denied the right to trade with local merchants and must drive for three hours once every few weeks to obtain food and supplies for his family. Next year, he won't even be counted in the national census, which means he won't even be considered an actual citizen.

All because he is a Christian.

These developments are a bit baffling to those familiar with the basic tenets of Buddhism which stress non-violence and acceptance, but in Myanmar the religion is tempered with nationalism and in the face of aggressive outside threats, such as Islam, the native Buddhists have become hostile.

It's hard to blame them. The Muslims have arrived, bringing with them terrorism and violence as their preferred tactic for forcing conversions in the border regions where they have become dominant. With the mainstream of the nation still Buddhist, but fearing attack, it's natural for them to retaliate against outside influences.

It's also a convenient distraction from the dysfunctions of government as the state feebly struggles on the path to democracy.

Christians are hardly militant, but they tend to segregate rather than assimilate. The Baptists have made inroads into the rural state of Chin, where Naing Ki lives and the Buddhists there feel very threatened by their presence. The end result is a segregated society where Christians form enclaves and Buddhists form theirs, and any dispute between the two different persons immediately becomes the spark for religious conflict.

In Naing Ki's case, he is the only Christian in a small rural village of Buddhists.

It doesn't help that outside aid is banned and the government gives tacit approval to the persecution of religious minorities. According to UCAN, Christian children are often enrolled in free public education and forced to participate in daily Buddhist rituals.

As Myanmar prepares to take its census and plans to discount those who aren't Buddhist, millions of people could lose their citizenship and become stateless people, all because they are of a different religious persuasion.

Cut off from outside aid and domestic support, these people will be forced to turn to one another, which could give rise to intense, militant movements and outside intervention. If Myanmar is looking to transition into a fully-fledged, peaceful democracy, it is making the wrong move.

Light Your Free Payer Candle for a departed loved one

What is Palm Sunday?

Live on March 20, 2024 @ 10am PDT

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.