Christians are among those who have reached out in solidarity to the Muslim community of Mandalay, Myanmar after a man was shot and killed outside a mosque.
Soldiers from the Myanmar army – also known as the Tatmadaw – raided the Muslim community on the morning of April 15, killing the 28-year-old man, named as Ko Ko Htet, and injuring four others near the mosque.
Chin, Kachin and Karen Christians are among those who have suffered persecution from the Tatmadaw.
Soldiers also arrested several bystanders, including boys between the ages of 11 and 16, and set houses on fire, with around 40 homes burned down.
Representatives of the Christian and Buddhist communities visited the victims of the fire that afternoon to express condolences, as well as provide food and other donations.
The raids come amid ongoing tensions in Buddhist-majority Myanmar since the army seized power in a military coup on February 1.
On April 3, soldiers conducted searches at three churches in Mohnyin township, Kachin state, in order to investigate unfounded allegations that Christians were sheltering protest leaders and that church ministers were involved in anti-coup activism.
The Tatmadaw has for many years persecuted the majority-Christian Karen, Kachin and Chin people, as well as the majority-Muslim Rohingya.
