Re: Freedom of religion for Zomi.
- From: "zomi" <zomi@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:28:10 -0400
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN MYANMAR
"There is freedom of religion in Myanmar"
"There is no religious persecution in Myanmar."
"Everything is OK in Myanmar."
===
September 9, Irrawaddy
Junta closes popular Rangoon church - Yeni
The Full Gospel Assembly, a rapidly growing church in downtown Rangoon,
has been ordered by Burma's military government to cease all activities,
according to Christian sources in the capital.
The church operates several programs in Rangoon, including Bible training
courses, women's and youth meetings, weekly worship services, and monthly
fasting and prayer.
"At present we are not allowed to do any activities-even weekly worship
service," a pastor from the church told The Irrawaddy by telephone on
Friday, offering no other details and preferring to remain anonymous.
Sources in the capital have said that the government has cracked down on
Christian churches in recent months, closing several of them after many
local residents had converted from Buddhism to Christianity.
Christians in rural areas have reportedly experienced more restrictions on
religious expression than in urban areas. Construction on a new Baptist
church in Tachileik, near Burma's eastern border with Thailand, was
recently halted.
Christians among ethnic Karen, Karenni, Chin and Kachin communities, as
well as Muslim Rohingyas, have all suffered government interference in
their religious practices. While the junta vigorously promotes the spread
of Buddhism in ethnic areas with large Christian or Muslim populations,
such actions are generally considered to be politically motivated.
"The regime is vigorously pursuing a policy of religious persecution
against Chin Christians in order to expand the influence of Buddhism in
Chinland," noted the India-based Chin Human Rights Organisation. Chin
populations-living near Burma's western border with India-are 90 percent
Christian.
According to CHRO, Burmese army troops in January pulled down a 15-metre
(50-foot) cross built by Chin Christians on a hillside in Matupi, Chin
State, near the Burma-India border. Other crosses in towns throughout Chin
State have been destroyed in recent years, and the Burma Army has
reportedly forced Christian villagers to construct Buddhist pagodas in
place of the Christian crosses.
But Buddhists themselves have also been the target of government
persecution. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma
estimates that about 100 Buddhist monks and novices are currently in jail
for protesting Burma's military ruling military regime.
The US State Department has designated Burma as a "Country of Particular
Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly
severe violations of religious freedom since 1999.
However, government officials in Rangoon deny any legislative or
administrative restrictions on religious freedom, stating that "the
national races shall enjoy the freedom to profess their religion ...
provided that the enjoyment of any such freedom does not offend the laws
or the public interest."
____________________________________
===
----- Original Message -----
From: "Editor" <editor@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2005 2:48 PM
Subject: BurmaNet News, September 9, 2005
THE BURMANET NEWS
A listserv covering Burma
www.burmanet.org
.............................................................
September 9, 2005 Issue # 2799
"The U.N. is also closely following Myanmar, trying to promote reforms in
the military-ruled country,"
- UN Undersecretary-General Ibrahim Gambari as quoted in "U.N. summit to
give leaders 'face time,'" Associated Press,September 9,2005
INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Burmese junta cuts support for NMSP
Irrawaddy: Junta closes popular Rangoon church
SHAN: Propaganda is costly
DVB: Rangoon Division court rejected appeal for Aung Hlaing Win
ON THE BORDER
DVB: Burma junta lures ex-KNU members to surrender
GUNS
Reuters: Bangladesh seizes more arms from Myanmar rebels
REGIONAL
Narinjara: Arakanese commemorate U Ottama Day in Dhaka
INTERNATIONAL
AP: U.N. summit to give leaders 'face time'
OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: It's time to face the blunt truth on AIDS in Burma
.............................................................
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===
"Kutha" <Papawaddy@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1124784383.280315.182150@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Dear Zomi,
>
> According to the wise people,
>
> "religious thinking should be such as to free the mind from the
> narrowing effects of dogmas usually associated with the word, "
> religion".
>
> " Let truth and falsehood grapple: whoever heard truth put to the worse
> in a free and open encounter."
>
> Again over two thousand five hundred years ago Buddha stressed,
> complete freedom of thought without which no truth or insight can
> result and no effort be exerted: " Do not go upon what has been
> acquired by repeated hearing: nor upon tradition, nor upon rumour , nor
> upon what is in scripture, nor upon an axiom , nor upon specious
> reasoning, nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered
> over, nor upon another seeming ability, nor upon consideration he/she
> is our teacher.
>
> In my view, the reputation of US and Britain is well known to the
> world. Especially after the invasion of Iraq with their false
> accusations. No one can deny they have the military might or
> superiority, and also the economic might. The world also know their
> bullying tactic to monopolise other people's wealth in the name of
> democracy and human rights.
>
> The world is not blind, the people of the world are not stupid. If
> somebody indivudual is stupid , that is his/her business, nobody can
> help him/her.
>
> At first Spain and it has lost its empire. then France and Britain have
> lost theirs. when Nazi Germany together with fascist Italy in the west
> tried to build the new empire and fascist Japan in the east tried the
> same. Their aims to rule the world or to create their empires were not
> only unsuccessful, they lost their freedom and became subordinates or
> the 21 century slaves to the conquering masters.
>
> Now US and Britain are trying to built their new empire to rule the
> world together by hook or by crook again.
>
> Remember, the truth can not be hidden behind closed doors, behind silk
> curtain or behind iron curtain.
>
> Kutha.
>
.
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