Christian Persecution in Myanmar: An Insider’s Account
Van Biak Thang, with Madeline Carrasco Henners
Henners: United Theological Seminary maintains a diverse student body from various denominations and countries. This creates a rich environment for Christian education, but nothing is more advantageous than the ability to share each other’s burdens and prayers. One such opportunity comes from first-year student Van Biak Thang of Myanmar. How he came to United was its own miracle, but I’ll let him share that in his own words below.
Christians in Myanmar have experienced heightened persecution since 2021. Churches and pastors have been targeted following the military coup in February of that year. According to Open Doors USA, “More Christians than ever have been driven out to live in camps for displaced people, where they are often deprived of access to food and healthcare because of their faith.” The persecution may come from the national government, Buddhist monks, practitioners of traditional religions, or local officials.
I asked Thang to help us understand the concerns facing his home country and the ways Christians in other countries can provide assistance. As I spoke with him, I realized not only that the situation is much more dire than I could have imagined, but that God will need to provide miraculous pathways of relief. Please join me in praying for the people of Myanmar, especially the persecuted Christians who have fled to the hills.
Thang: I come from the western region of Myanmar, home to the only Christian states in the country. I was raised in a missionary family, saved at the age of eighteen, and quickly chose to be part of the ministry. I had the privilege to start my theological journey in India, where I studied for several years, and I became a pastor of Myanmar Evangelical Church.
I also started Hope at Home in 2017, a non-profit organization that helps individuals with HIV/AIDS. Seeking to deepen my knowledge in this area, in 2018 I participated in an HIV/AIDS Conference organized by the UMC HIV/AIDS committee in Carmel, Indiana. For some time I had the hope of being able to further my theological education in the United States, but I did not know where to begin.
At this conference I met Dr. Kent Millard, the president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. When I mentioned I wanted to study theology in the United States, he excitedly reported that he might be able to help. Dr. Millard took me to the seminary for a tour and my admission process started later that week. Although it would take another few years before I was able to move to the U.S., his invitation was a sweet memory for me. After much prayer and patience, I was able to start my program in the Fall of 2021 at United. God had not forgotten about my prayers.
I hope my degree, Master of Arts in Christian Ministries, will give me additional tools to be effective in ministry in my home country. My current assignment is to be a national missionary to the Buddhist community in a township called Hlegu in the Yangon Division. I also started a new church in 2019 with two families, which has now grown to eight households. Being a pastor in the Myanmar Evangelical Church is challenging and life-threatening. Yet I see myself as privileged to be in ministry and plan to return to my country when my studies have finished.
Regarding the turmoil in my home country, I will attempt a brief overview of events that have led to the current crisis. The government of Myanmar has been led by military dictators for over sixty years. In 2015, the Democratic party won the general election and somehow led the nation on a path to become a fully democratic country over the next five years. The next general election was conducted on November 8, 2020, where the party of the National League for Democracy won.
On February 1, 2021, a meeting of the parliament took place to discuss the transition of power. But in the middle of the night on January 31st, 2021, a military coup resulted in the illegal detention of most of the parliament leaders including President U Win Myint and state counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They are still detained.
Civilians took to the streets in protest on February 3, 2021, but the military troops began shooting people in the crowd. Doctors and engineers of Myanmar began the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in protest. They stopped going to their offices and functioning in their roles. Small businesses have closed. Banking workers have gone on strike. Teachers and even some soldiers are participating in the movement. Nevertheless the military violence has not stopped. Many high school and university students have been killed, and as many as 15,000 medical doctors, engineers, and other activists have been detained. More than 1,500 young people, including children, have died at the hands of the military.
It has been over a year since the military coup overthrew the civilian government, and there is no safe place left for the people. A few parliament members who escaped being detained along with local political activists have formed the National Unity Government to fight for the rights of civilians. Children have not gone to school for two years, and the civil hospitals are shut down. Most of the transportation companies stopped working, and warehouses and business sectors are being closed. Telephone connections have been cut off in many areas, and funds sent to banks that are open are monitored and intercepted by the military. Life in Myanmar could not be more uncertain. Humanitarian assistance is desperately needed, yet difficult to accomplish.
One of the results of the civil unrest in Myanmar has been elevated levels of Christian persecution. Christians are a minority group in Myanmar. We make up only 8.2% of the population. We are normally from ethnic groups like the Chin, Kachin, and Karen peoples. The Chin state, where I am from, is the only Christian state in the country. In the past, religious freedom has been allowed by some miracle, but that all ended with the military coup. When the insurrectionists illegally took power, the Chin state was the most targeted and affected. For example, thousands of homes and churches have been burned down in Thantlang township. The military has shot and killed pastors. Churches cannot conduct services due to fear of the military. Approximately 2.5 million people have fled to the jungle and settled in refugee camps in the forest.
Discrimination and violations of human rights are taking place in all areas of the country. Generally, every citizen is suffering, except for those who have aligned themselves in support of the military coup. Unfortunately, as a targeted minority, Christians are suffering the most.
Unless the international community speaks out on behalf of the people of Myanmar, there is no solution in sight. Prayer remains the most important thing we can do, but these Christians also need political support and basic supplies. Humanitarian assistance is difficult due to military oversight, but Christian Indian charities along the western border are seeking to help. The military is blocking roads and access from within the country, prohibiting access to medication and food. Many children and elderly people have died, and there is no nutrition or medical aid for newborn babies or the sick. People have fled their cities for the jungle along the Indian border and rivers. Working with Christian Indian organizations may be the best way to support the basic needs of my brothers and sisters.
I’d like to close by saying that, in the midst of suffering, Christians in Myanmar are experiencing similar persecution to the early church. Believers have not lost hope and keep praying for both democracy and religious freedom in the land. If American Christians can hear the cry of their Christian brothers and sisters in my country, their prayers and support would help us overcome the persecution and one day enjoy liberty as a nation once again.
Henners: If you’re interested in helping persecuted Christians around the globe, there are a variety of organizations to which you can give, including Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors USA.
Van Biak Thang is a student in the Master of Arts in Christian Ministries Program at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He is a native of Myanmar and a pastor of the Myanmar Evangelical Church.
Madeline Carrasco Henners is Assistant Professor in the Practice of Contextual Ministries at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.