Overview
Myanmar is a country in south east Asia, which is still known by many as Burma – its official name until 1989. As Burma it was a British colony from the middle of the 19th Century until it gained independence in 1948.
Since independence Myanmar has suffered on-going civil unrest. A coup d’état in 1962 saw the beginning of more than 25 years rule by the Burma Socialist Programme Party. Widespread protests towards the end of the 1980s led to the overthrowing of the BSPP by the military. A general election was held in 1990, but the military refused to recognise the results. The leader of the National League for Democracy party, Aung San Suu Kyi, was arrested and quickly became something of an international symbol for democracy while under long-term house arrest.
During the 1990s a military junta consolidated its control of Myanmar. During this time the United Nations reported on consistent human rights violations in the country. Following a general election in 2010 the military junta was officially dissolved and a nominally civilian government installed. However, following another election in 2020, in which Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won a clear majority, the military again seized power. The coup, widely condemned by the international community, led to widespread riots and political repression by the military.
What it means to be a Christian in Myanmar
About 80% of Myanmar’s 55 million population would be identified as Buddhist. Christianity, which has a long history in the region, is considered the second largest religion in the country. The majority of the Chin and Kachin people groups in the west and north of Myanmar would identify as Christian.
Church buildings and Christian gatherings are allowed in much of the country, but in practice tolerance varies from region to region. Christians will often find it hard, if not impossible, to join the army or get government-related jobs.
Persecution
The treatment of the Rohingya, a small ethnic group on the coast of Myanmar who mainly follow Islam, has drawn the attention of the international community in recent years. However, Christians in Myanmar have faced varying degrees of hostility for many years. Foreign missionaries were expelled in the 1960s and Christian groups have often been targeted for attack during the long-running civil war. Villagers who hold to animistic beliefs oppose Christians, who they claim are angering the spirits. Active believers who seek to share their faith often face difficulties. Buddhist monks have actively opposed new Christian converts and evangelists.
There have been media reports of Christian churches and pastors being targeted by the military since the most recent coup d’état.
Release International work
Release International is aiming to support a number of missionaries and frontline workers in Myanmar, with kits that will help them in their travels. These are bold Christian evangelists who focus on ministering in remote areas of Myanmar where many believers experience on-going persecution. The kits include practical tools to assist them in their work.
We also support some individual Christians who have experienced severe opposition in their locality.
