“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven.” Colossians 1:3-5

 

Myanmar
The Burmese Army continues its campaign of oppression attacking villages, murdering people, forcing people to carry loads and labor for them and building roads. Because of attacks by the Burma Army, T District has over 20,000 IDP’s (Internally Displaced People).

 

Each time the Burmese Army attacks an area or patrols near a village the villagers flee. At best, this disrupts their cultivation of rice and at worst completely stops it. Villages that are not attacked or oppressed can grow enough rice to feed themselves and have enough left over to sell. At this moment there are few villages in the mountains of T District that can grow a large supply of rice. This is especially true of villages that the Burmese Army targets for attack. Once displaced, the villagers (now IDP’s), lose the ability to cultivate their fields.

 

The Burmese Army regularly forces people to porter their loads to their camps. On 19^th of January, four Karen women were forced to carry military supplies to the Burmese Army camp. Four days before this incident four other women were forced to carry loads to the same camp.

 

These landmines, discovered by Karen people, were placed on a trail used by IDP’s in Southern Karenni State. The Burma Army placed them here in order to terrorize Karenni IDP’s and block their return to their home areas. An estimated 1,000 landmines have been placed in the area in the direction to the Karen border. 

 

Message from a relief team leader
We talked with two villagers who had lost their legs to Burmese Army landmines and to a 13 year old boy, who had been shot in the arm by the Burmese Army when he was 5 years old. His arm is still badly scored.

 

Everywhere we went, it was the same. The local people were full of energy and hope and believed that one-day change would come. In the mean time, they would work hard, pray and hope people in the outside world would come and help. However, they told me, "We do not put our faith in the world or other nations; we have our faith in God...so we have hope".

 

Praise:

Heard from insiders:

• In spite of the close presence of the Burma Army, every village and IDP site were full of people who had not given up. They kept their belongings packed every day and were ready to flee at a moments notice, but they have kept hope and have not given up on their homeland. PRAISE GOD!

Pray:

• For family of IDP’s hiding from the Burmese Army patrols. Their village was attacked on 26 December 2005. They and 400 other IDP’s are hiding in the jungle now.
• On 20 January; Two Karen villagers were captured by Burmese Army troops. These two men work as porters carrying loads of supplies to villages. They were captured by the Burmese Army troops and searched. One of their loads contained medicine (which the Karen are prohibited to have) and so they were both tied up and taken. Their situation now is unknown. The two men's names are: STDK and SPKR.