A woman in Burma spoke to CSW about the horrific devastation the Burma Army has been wreaking on her village. The soldiers have been torturing, raping, and killing the mainly Christian civilians in Kachin State – and leaving churches in ruins along the way.
Burma’s ruling military junta is trying to convince the world that they’re making the country more peaceful and democratic. And it’s true that some changes have been made. But while rape, murder, and destruction of churches is taking place in Kachin and other states, the full story is clearly very different.
Churches Occupied and Destroyed
“Villagers had stored some of their property in the churches, thinking that the church would be safe, but the Burma Army troops took whatever they wanted...They stayed in the church for three days and destroyed almost everything – the leaves for the roof, personal property - and they burned down houses near the church.”
Helen (not her real name) had already fled to a refugee camp by the time we spoke to her. Her village had been invaded by the Burma Army with the troops occupying and destroying both the Roman Catholic and Baptist churches. “We never loot or destroy or disrespect Buddhist pagodas, but they do this with our churches.”
She also told us about the soldiers stealing money and possessions from the villagers. A heavily pregnant nursery teacher had saved 500,000 kyats (US$500) for the baby’s birth, but the troops robbed her of this money. When she pleaded with them to return the money, they gave her back a little but kept the rest.

Continue to pray that the reforming process going on in the central government will be extended to all parts of the nation so there will be an end to this ethnic conflict and mistreatment of minority peoples like the Kachin.