Updates on Burma (Myanmar)

We are monitoring updates on Burma (Myanmar), and people demonstrating against the military take-over of the country. We are in contact with our mission colleagues. The Christian leaders in Burma are doing their best as they always did during the previous successive military regimes.

History is repeating itself for those of us who lived through 1988. The language and tone of the current State Administration Council sounds like the generals back in the 80s, ready to repress any dissenting voices. 

The only difference then and now is this generation is equipped with mobile phones with Internet access, and has been exposed to relative freedom in the last decade since the country opened its doors after 2010. They know that their generation didn't have to pay exorbitant fees to buy a mobile phone number unlike those in the 80s and 90s, when people paid Kyats 2,500,000 (US$ 2,000) for a SIM card.

Their demonstration techniques are more sophisticated with humor and witty messages to let the world know what is going on:


Her message says, "We Will Fight For Democracy until Arsenal Win The Champion League." Twitter and Facebook are full of messages like these from the youths of Burma.

Knowing this, the State Administration Council is thinking about cutting or limiting access to the Internet to arrest people to silence the dissenting voices.

We hope and pray that Burma will be back on the right track soon. Burmese people and Friends of Burma appreciate your prayers, moral and financial support for hospitals, orphans, scholarships, Internally Displaced People, and other causes.

Some of the hospitals we are supporting have been inundated with the influx of patients because government hospitals are on strike, and they don’t want to send them away to the military hospitals. They have specifically requested our help.

Here is a link to donate: http://friendsofburma.org/donate/

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