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22 Jul
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Statement On The Baptist World Alliance’s Resolution On Myanmar

 

Statement on the Baptist World Alliance’s Resolution on Myanmar
July 22, 2022

Ellicott City, Maryland, USA ——- During its 2022 Annual Gathering in Birmingham, Alabama from July 10-15, 2022, the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Council adopted a new resolution on Myanmar/Burma in response to the Burmese military’s violent suppression of democracy and religious freedom.

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

  1. CAM welcomes the Baptist World Alliance’s condemnation of Myanmar’s 2021 military coup and support for a democracy that respects the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.
  2. The BWA General Council’s resolution comes at a time of increasing military persecution of the Chin Christian minority. CAM extends special thanks to Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, General Secretary Emeritus of America Baptist Churches USA and CAM board advisor, for proposing and drafting this statement with input from CAM Executive Director Zo Tum Hmung.
  3. CAM encourages further advocacy in order to put pressure on the U.S. Senate to pass the BURMA Act of 2021 (S.2937).

Zo Tum Hmung previously spoke at the January 2020 BWA Congress in Melbourne, Australia to present on the military’s restrictions against the construction of Christian religious buildings and the printing of Christian religious texts, including the Bible. Mr. Hmung also spoke at the BWA Executive Committee on the invitation of the late Rev. Dr. Denton Lotz, former General Secretary of BWA.

Further information on the Burmese military’s religious persecution of Chin Christians can be found in CAM’s new report, “Seventeen Months After the Military Coup in Myanmar/Burma: Escalating Persecution of Chin Christians in Chin State and Sagaing Region,” released in June 2022.

Contact:
Zo Tum Hmung
Tel. 443-936-8616
zotumhmung@chinmd.org
 

The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization based in Ellicott City, Maryland.  CAM empowers the Chin communities in Maryland to be successfully integrated into American society. CAM also advocates for durable solutions for Chin and other refugees and internally displaced persons, and religious freedom and human rights in Burma.

Chins, virtually all of whom are Christians, are an ethnic nationality from Burma. They became Christians primarily due to the missionary efforts of the American Baptist Churches USA. They are a major recent U.S. refugee group that fled from Burma to neighboring countries to escape ethnic, political and religious persecution by the Burmese military since 1962. In 2001, about 1000 Chin asylees came to the U.S through Guam, resettling largely in Maryland, Indiana, Florida, and Texas. Since 2002, the U.S. has resettled many more Chin refugees coming through Malaysia and India. Chins now number 70,000 across the United States, with about 5,000 making Maryland their home.

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09 Jun
0

Statement on the Burning the Thantlang Baptist Church in Thangtlang, Chin State, Burma

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03 Jun
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Statement on the Burning the 135 Residences in Thantlang, Chin State, Burma

Statement on the Burning the 135 Residences in ThantlangChin StateBurma
June 3, 2022

Ellicott City, Maryland, USA ——- On May 24 and 26, 2022, the Burmese military, also known Tatmadaw, based in Thantlang Town, Chin State, burned down 135 residences in Thantlang. This is the 8th time that the residences have been turned down. The entire population of the town has been displaced. The Thanlang Placement Committee (TPC) has confirmed that as of this statement, the Tatmadaw has burned 1,314 residences in Thantlang since September 2021.

CAM issues the following statement.

  1. CAM strongly condemns the burning of 135 homes in Thantlang Town, Chin State.
  2. CAM urges the Biden administration, the U.S. Congress, the international community, and especially the UN Security Council to put more pressure on the Burmese military to cease its atrocities, and allow the UN agencies and the international communities unhindered access, especially to Chin State to provide protection and deliver humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced persons.
  3. CAM’s recent Report (https://chinmd.org/2021/11/05/myanmar-burma-challenges-displaced-persons-refugees/) and the continued burning of buildings in Chin State 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.
Contact:
Zo Tum Hmung
Tel. 443-936-8616
zotumhmung@chinmd.org
The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization based in Ellicott City, Maryland.  CAM empowers the Chin communities in Maryland to be successfully integrated into American society. CAM also advocates for durable solutions for Chin and other refugees and internally displaced persons, and religious freedom and human rights in Burma.

Chins, virtually all of whom are Christians, are an ethnic nationality from Burma. They became Christians primarily due to the missionary efforts of the American Baptist Churches USA. They are a major recent U.S. refugee group that fled from Burma to neighboring countries to escape ethnic, political and religious persecution by the Burmese military since 1962. In 2001, about 1000 Chin asylees came to the U.S through Guam, resettling largely in Maryland, Indiana, Florida, and Texas. Since 2002, the U.S. has resettled many more Chin refugees coming through Malaysia and India. Chins now number 70,000 across the United States, with about 5,000 making Maryland their home.

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03 Jun
0

Statement on the Burning of the Johnson Memorial Baptist Church in Thantlang, Chin State

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09 May
0

Statement on the Burning of 27 Houses at Ramthlo and Tlangzar Villages in Chin State, Burma

 

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01 May
0

Statement on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom 2022 Annual Report

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11 Apr
0

Statement on Shooting of Christian Church Properties in Kalaymyo, Sagiang Region and Kanpalet in Chin State, Burma

April 11, 2022 

Ellicott City, Maryland, USA ——- On April 9, 2022  at around 9:00am in Myanmar/Burma, the Burmese military based in Kalaymyo, Sagaing Region fired rocket-propelled grenates (RPFs), commonly known as a shoulder launcher, on the Toungphila Baptist Church’s staff quarters in Kalaymyo. Some rooms in the building were destroyed and the military stole money and other belongings from the building. The three-story building hit on the third floor, which is where the pastor and his family live. Fortunately, the pastor and his family were not hurt. The army also interrogated the pastor and then released him, and the office staff suffered severe injuries including on his head where he was hit with a gun.

On March 31, 2022, the Tatmadaw in Kanpalet, Chin State fired and destroyed a multipurpose building of the Kanpalet Township Baptist Association in Kanpalet town. The military also destroyed the Association’s Van Ambulance. The Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM) will not disclose information regarding the sources due to security reasons.

CAM issues the following statement.                                                                                                                  

  1. CAM strongly condemns the destroying of the Toungphila Baptist Church’s staff quarters and office in Kalaymyo, Sagaing Region in Burma as well as the church offices and staff quarters of the Kanpalet Township Baptist Association’s multipurpose building and its Van Ambulance, in Kanpalet in Chin State.
  2. CAM’s recent Report (https://chinmd.org/2021/11/05/myanmar-burma-challenges-displaced-persons-refugees/) and the continued destroying of Christian buildings and persecution of Christian Chins in Chin State and Sagaing Region have further proved that the State Administration Council’s (SAC) actions amount to crimes against humanity and therefore, the Min Aung Hlaing-led SAC must be brought to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Destruction of Toungphila Baptist Church in Kalaymyo, Sagaing Region

 

Destruction of multipurpose building of the Kanpalet Township Baptist Association in Kanpalet town, Chin State, as well as an ambulance.


Contact:

Zo Tum Hmung

Tel. 443-936-8616

zotumhmung@chinmd.org

 

Chin Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAM), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Maryland. CAM empowers the Chin communities in Maryland to be successfully integrated into American society. CAM also advocates for durable solutions for refugees and IDPs, and religious freedom and human rights in Burma. www.chinmd.org.

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30 Mar
0

CAM Statement on the Destroy of Christian Churches in Zokhua Village and Burning of Houses in Tinam Village, Chin State, Burma

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30 Mar
0

CAM Statement on the Determination of Genocide Against Rohingya

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30 Mar
0

CAM Statement on Welcoming $136 millions in U.S. Assistance for Burma

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