Thousands of Christians fled their homes as the army of Myanmar (Burma) shelled Christian villages of Karen state on Monday, February 1. It was the same day that the army seized political power in a military coup.
The following weekend the Tatmadaw, as the army is called, sent troops in 20 trucks to attack another Karen village in the middle of the night. Thankfully the villagers had fled just hours before.
“We are very concerned, knowing the cruelty of the Tatmadaw. Lord, have mercy on these people,” came the message to Barnabas Aid from one of our project partners on Tuesday (February 9).
On The Run, Yet Again
For decades the army, representing the Buddhist and ethnic Burman majority, brutally oppressed the Karen and other ethnic minorities, even during the recent years of civilian democratic rule.
A ceasefire agreed upon in 2012 has been crumbling, especially since December 2020, when the army began attacking villages in Karen state with shells, mortars and grenades. There are many Christians in the Karen ethnic group.
Thousands of Karen people are now hiding in the jungle. Many left in such a hurry that wash still hung to dry and taps were still running.
Helpless, Hungry and Homeless
The displaced Christians are asking for rice, cooking oil and fish, and tarpaulins or any strong plastic sheeting to make some kind of roof over their heads. As small-scale farmers, they can feed themselves in normal times from their rice fields and livestock. But, displaced in the jungle, they are helpless, hungry and homeless.
Barnabas has already sent an initial gift to buy food and plastic sheeting for our Karen brothers and sisters, helpless and homeless in the jungle.
Please give now so we can keep helping them.
