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Press Release: CAM Official Report Release on April 13, 2023

May 15, 2023

Washington, DC — On Thursday, April 13, 2023, the Chin Association of Maryland held an official launch event for its most recent report, Two Years After the 2021 Military Coup: The Worsening Situation of Christians Across Burma.

This report is CAM’s third since the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup, highlighting key cases of religious persecution aimed at the Chin and other Christian minorities across Burma. CAM thanks the U.S. Institute of Peace for hosting and thanks the speakers, including Bishop David J. Malloy and Dr. C. Jeff Woods, for their remarks.

At the event, CAM Executive Director Zo Tum Hmung and Rev. Ah Le, General Secretary of the Kachin Baptist Churches, USA, presented key findings and cases of religious persecution from the report, which can be accessed below. Coverage related to the event can be viewed at the USIP website, Voice of America’s Burmese service, and Democratic Voice of Burma TV News.

CAM issued the following key recommendations to the Biden administration:

1. Actively impose targeted sanctions against the military officials who have committed atrocities against the people of Burma, including atrocities targeting religious minorities such as Christians in Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Karenni States as well as Sagaing and Mandalay Regions; and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State
2. Designate atrocities against Christian minorities, especially the Chins, as war crimes and crimes against humanity, consistent with the designation of crimes targeting the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority

Below are CAM’s recent presentations on this topic:

1. CAM’s United State Institute of Peace Presentation
2. Statement by Reverend Ah Le, General Secretary of the Kachin Baptist Churches, USA

The Burmese military’s air strikes on Malsawm village in Chin State, Burma Destroyed the Malsawm Baptist Church

May 10, 2023

Washington, DC — Around 10:30 a.m. local Burma time on May 5, 2023, the Burmese military’s airstrikes on Malsawm Village in Hakha township destroyed the Malawm Baptist Church. Malsawm village is about 35 miles far from Hakha, the capital town of Chin State, Burma.

Sources confirmed with the Chin Association of Maryland (CAM) that there were no military conflicts at Malsawm village between the Chin forces and the Tatmadaw. All the villagers of Malsawm have been displaced.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the airstrikes against Malsawm village. The CAM’s January 2023 Report and the air strikes on the civilians at Malsawm village have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
2. CAM urges the Biden administration to determine the atrocities against the Chins as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
3. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the dead and the Malsawm villagers.

The Burmese military burned homes and other buildings including the Gospel Baptist Church at Chuncung village in Chin State, Burma

May 3, 2023

Washington, DC — Around 6 a.m. local Burma time on May 2, 2023, the Burmese military also known as the Tatmadaw, burned 14 homes and other buildings, including the Gospel Baptist Church and its staff quarters, at Chuncung village, Hakha township in Chin state, Burma. Chuncung village is about 15 miles from the Hakha, the capital of Chin State in Burma.

The credible sources on the ground confirmed with the Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) that the Tatmadaw occupied the Lungphun Baptist Church at Chuncung village, located on the hilltop in the village, and the Tatmadaw has been using the church as its strategic military camp. The entire villages have been displaced.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the burning of buildings, including the Gospel Baptist Church, and the occupation of the Lungphun Baptist Church at Chuncung village. The CAM’s January 2023 Report and the burning of residences at Chuncung village have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
2. CAM urges the Biden administration to determine the atrocities against the Chins as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
3. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Chuncung villagers.

The Burmese military’s air strikes on Tlanglo village in Chin State, Burma Killed Civilians and Destroyed Christian Churches and Residences

April 28, 2023

Washington, DC — Around 2 p.m. local Burma time on April 27, 2023, the Burmese military’s airstrikes killed 2 civilians, injured 8, and destroyed 19 houses, including three churches at Tlanglo village of Thantlang township, Chin state, Burma. Tlanglo village is about 5 miles from the Victoria Camp. The entire villagers have been displaced.

A former pastor of Tlanglo Presbyterian Church and multiple credible sources confirmed with the Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) that the fighter jet dropped two bombs. The churches destroyed were: Tlanglo Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church of Tlanglo, and Believers Church of Tlanglo. The sources further reported that there were no military conflicts at Tlanglo village between the Chin forces and the Tatmadaw.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the airstrikes against Tlanglo village. CAM’s January 2023 Report and the air strikes on the civilians at Tlanglo village have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
2. CAM urges the Biden administration to determine the atrocities against the Chins as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
3. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the dead and the Tlanglo villagers.

The Burmese military’s air strikes on the Webula Town in Chin State, Burma Killed Civilians

April 11, 2023

Washington, DC — Around 11 a.m. local Burma time on April 10, 2023, the Burmese military’s airstrikes killed 9 civilians, including a 9-year-old boy and a retired pastor, at Webula town in Falam township of Chin state, Burma. Webula is about 18 miles south of Falam town.

Multiple credible sources confirmed with the Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) that the fighter jet dropped two bombs that killed 9 villagers, injured 4 individuals, and destroyed 6 houses. The sources further reported that there were no military conflicts between the Chin forces and the Tatmadaw.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the airstrikes against Webula town. The CAM’s January 2023 Report and the air strikes on the civilians at Webula town have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Therefore, the Min Aung Hlaing-led SAC must be brought to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
2. CAM urges the Biden administration to impose sanctions against Major General Than Hteik, Commander of Myanmar’s Northwestern Command based in Monywa, who oversees the Tatmadaw’s atrocities against the Chins in Chin State.
3. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the dead and the Webula town.

Burmese Fighter Jets Bombed Khuafo Village in Chin State, Burma and Killed 8 villagers including 4 children

March 31, 2023

Washington, DC — Around 10:30 a.m. local Burma time on March 30, 2023, the Burmese military fighter jets dropped at least 12 bombs on the Khuafo village, Thantlang township in Chin State, Burma. Khuafo village is five miles far from Thantlang town.

An eyewitness at the Khuafo village informed the Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) that the bomb killed 8 villagers, injured 11 individuals, and destroyed 16 houses. Multiple sources who were familiar with the situation on the ground also informed CAM that neither the Chin National Army nor the Chinland Defense Forces were present at the Khuafo village at the time of the Tamatmaw’s airstrikes that killed the innocent civilians, including four- and six-year-old boys. The injured included a pastor and the strikes destroyed the Baptist Church and the Believers Church. CAM has not released the name list for protection of the relatives of the deceased and the injured.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the airstrikes against Khuafo village. The CAM’s January 2023 Report and the air strikes on the civilians at Khuafo village have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity and therefore, the Min Aung Hlaing-led SAC must be brought to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
2. CAM urges the Biden administration to impose sanction against Major General Than Hteik, Commander of Myanmar’s Northwestern Command based in Monywa, who oversees the Tatmadaw’s atrocities against the Chins in Chin State.
3. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the dead and the Khuafo villagers.

Statement on the 2023 International Religious Freedom Summit

February 9, 2023

Washington, DC — This year’s International Religious Freedom Summit (IRF Summit) was held from January 31-February 1, 2023, in Washington, DC. CAM has been a Summit Partner for the past three years and prepared a new report to support its presentation, Two Years After the 2021 Military Coup: The Worsening Situation of Christians Across Burma. Chin youth advocate Esther Par presented the report on February 1, highlighting key cases of religious persecution such as the detention of Reverend Dr. Hkalam Samson, a Kachin pastor, and the burning of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Sagaing Region.

On Feb. 1, CAM briefed officials from the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom, the Bureau of Populations, Refugees, and Migration, the Burma Office at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and the Office of Global Criminal Justice on religious freedom in Burma.

CAM issued the following recommendations at the IRF Summit:

1. Urging the Biden Administration to designate atrocities against Christian minorities, especially the Chins, as war crimes and crimes against humanity, consistent with the designation of crimes targeting the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority;
2. Urging Congress to conduct a Fact-Finding mission to the India-Burma border area and Thai-Burma border area related to the protection and humanitarian needs of IDPs and refugees from Burma and related to the atrocities committed by the Tatmadaw.

Statement on USCIRF Hearing on Burma

February 9, 2023

Washington, DC — On February 8, 2023, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a virtual hearing on religious freedom in Burma two years after the military coup. The panel was led by USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel, with Vice Chair Abraham Cooper and Commissioners David Curry, Frederick Davie, Mohamed Magid, Stephen Schneck, and Frank Wolf in attendance.

CAM Executive Director Zo Tum Hmung provided an oral briefing and written testimony as part of the panel. Other panelists included Priscilla Clapp of the US Institute of Peace, Kyaw Zeyar Win of the International Republican Institute, and Wai Wai Nu, Executive Director of the Women’s Peace Network in Burma. Video highlights from the hearing can be found at VOA Burmese and RFA Burmese .

Mr. Hmung highlighted the following key recommendations in his oral testimony:

To the Biden Administration:

1. Designate atrocities against Christian minorities, especially the Chins, as war crimes and crimes against humanity, consistent with the designation of crimes targeting the Rohingya
2. Work with the National Unity Government, ethnic armed organizations and others to allocate non-lethal assistance for the protection of civilians from Tatmadaw air attacks.

To the U.S. Congress:

1. Conduct a Congressional Fact-Finding mission to the Indo-Burma border area and Thai-Burma border area related to the protection and humanitarian needs of IDPs and refugees from Burma and related to the atrocities, including gender-based atrocities, against religious minorities, including Christians.
2. Include language condemning the violations of religious freedom by the Tatmadaw in future US legislation and UN resolutions on Burma, especially at the UN Security Council.

Burmese Fighter Jets Attacking Camp Victoria in Chin State, Burma,
Also Drop a Bomb on Mizoram State, India

January 10, 2023

Washington, DC — On January 10, 2023 around 5:15 p.m. local Burma time, Burmese military fighter jets dropped at least four explosive devices on Camp Victoria, the Headquarters of the Chin National Front/Chin National Army in Chin State, Burma, near the border with Mizoram State, India, a source familiar with the situation confirmed with the Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM). A video of the attack has been posted on YouTube. CAM learned that five members of the Chin National Army (CNA) were killed in the attack.

A credible source also informed CAM that at least one bomb landed on Indian soil and damaged the truck of a villager from Farkawn Village in Mizoram State, India, which borders Chin State, Burma. CAM confirmed that the bomb landed about 50 meters away from the truck and destroyed its front mirror, but that the owner of the truck was able to escape and hide from the attackers. CAM received a photo of the truck but has not released it to protect the owner of the truck.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) issues the following statement:

1. CAM strongly condemns the airstrikes against Camp Victoria and sends condolences to the families and loved ones of the five CNA casualties.
2. CAM firmly believes that the attacks by the military junta against Camp Victoria will deeply strengthen the hearts and minds of the CNA, Chinland Defense Forces, and the Chin people inside Burma and around the world for the struggle to end the military rule in Burma.
3. CAM also believes that India, the largest democracy in the world, should stand with the people of Burma, as they struggle to establish democracy, and that India.should condemn the Burmese military fighters dropping a bomb on Indian soil and damaging its citizen’s truck.

Statement on Funding for Burma in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023

December 29, 2022

Washington, DC — This evening, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (H.R. 2617). The $1.7 trillion funding for H.R. 2617 includes $59.7 billion appropriated under State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Of the $59.7 billion, section 7403, pages 594-595, of the Act says “the funds appropriated by this Act, not less than $136,127,000 shall be made available for assistance for Burma”. The fiscal year 2023 funding for Burma is similar of the fiscal year 2022 (H.R. 2471).

The Senate passed the FY23 Omnibus Package on December 22, 2022. The following day on December 23, 2022, the House passed their Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The bill was signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022.

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc (CAM), issues the following statement.

1. CAM strongly welcomes assistance of “not less than $136,127,000” for Burma in the fiscal year 2023. It could be interpreted that the minimum funding is $136,127,000 or it would be more. CAM has been advocating for an appropriation for Burma of not less than $136,127,000 for fiscal year 2023 and to include language in the provisions referencing federalism, democracy, and accountability. (see CAM’s recommendations).
2. The funding is encouraging. It supports “the administrative operations and programs of entities–to establish an inclusive and representative democracy in Burma and a federal union.” (Sec. 7403, pages 1479 -1481). CAM believes that the entities refer to the National Unity Government (NUG), the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), the Ethnic Armed Organizations, the Civil Disobedience Movement, and others described at the Burma Act of 2022 (NDAA-H.R. 7776).
3. H.R. 2617 is critical. It provides support for humanitarian assistance, investigation and documentation of human rights abuses by the Burmese military junta.
4. The Act restricts that the funding from the Act should not support the State Administration Council and it should not be used for international security assistance.