Myanmar (MNN) — Last week, more than 12,000 people crossed the border from Myanmar into Thailand, arriving in Mae Sot City. They fled violence by the military regime against civilians, which has escalated ever since a February 2021 coup.
AMG International works to provide food, medicine, and blankets to these people. Brian Dennett says, “In speaking with our team in the field this week, we hear that the political situation itself just continues to spiral downward.”
“At the same time, there are reports all over that Christ is being proclaimed, that people are coming to him, and that they’re finding hope in Him.”
Attack on religions
In a desperate bid to maintain power, the military regime has also targeted religious groups, especially Christians.
AMG saw four network churches burned down by the army, and the people were forced to flee. Thankfully, all of the members made it to a safe place. Dennett says, “They are all refugees, and we are feeding and supplying them with basic needs. In another case, a church related to our ministry was stormed by soldiers and the believers that were hiding there were beaten. Some were even arrested.”
The junta has also persecuted Buddhism, the majority religion. Since the coup started, 40 Buddhist clergy have been killed and 40 more sent to jail. Almost 88 percent of Myanmar’s population identify as Buddhist.
In total, over 100 religious buildings have been burned down, including 20 Buddhist monasteries.
How to pray
Ask God to bring peace to Myanmar and break the military’s power. Pray many refugees will find hope in Jesus through AMG’s ministry.
Pray also that Myanmar’s growing Church will display the way of Jesus, who rules not with bullets but with love.
The header photo shows an abandoned hotel outside Mae Sot City at the border between Myanmar and Thailand. (Photo courtesy of Doc1981, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
