Our family in Myanmar are in desperate need of our prayers as the military renews its offensive against Christians.
The army has stepped up its campaign of violence against the mainly Christian Kachin people in the north of Myanmar.
Troops using artillery, helicopter gunships and infantry are reportedly setting fire to homes, forcing people to flee in their thousands. Many are believed to have sought refuge in churches. Commentators are drawing parallels between the current offensive and that unleashed against the Muslim Rohingya.
Some reports say that soldiers are using rape as a weapon of war and are deliberately targeting camps for the displaced, which is a war crime. They have also occupied churches and interrogated entire congregations.
Kachin rebel fighters have been a military target for decades but fighting between rebel groups and the military began again in earnest in 2011. The conflict has intensified since April, in areas including Mohnyin and Myitkyina districts.
- Please pray for an end to the violence in Myanmar. Pray especially for those who have lost loved ones and homes in recent weeks. Pray that the families affected by persecution whom Release partners are supporting will know God’s presence and His plan for their lives.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict individuals within the military of the cruelty and injustice of their actions. Pray that these individuals will grow into a movement of change for good.
- Let’s thank God that our faith is refined in the fire (1 Peter 1:7). Please pray that our family in Myanmar will stand firm in their faith and grow in wisdom and grace.
(Sources: Morning Star News, Sky News, World Watch Monitor)