Myanmar: Minister with government-in-exile demands religious freedom for all citizens
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The prominent Minister of Myanmar’s government-in-exile has delivered a passionate speech demanding religious freedom and asserting that the people of Myanmar will “never give up the fight” for “freedom and [for] federal democracy,” International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Myanmar’s democratically elected government was overthrown by the Buddhist extremist Tatmadaw army in a military coup in February 2021. Since then, Christians and other minorities have been targeted by the army in violent attacks resulting in death and mass displacement.
In his speech Dr. Sasa, the Minister of International Cooperation for Myanmar’s exiled National Unity Government reiterated that a “federal, democratic, principle-based constitution that belongs to ALL the people of Myanmar…regardless of race, religion, gender, color, language, background, and ethnicity.”
The speech was given in light of the Tatmadaw’s ongoing violent battle to impose its brand of Buddhism on the country. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced since the coup and, in May alone, over 7,000 civilian houses, churches, and other places of worship have been destroyed by troops who have been described as genocidal.
Dr. Sasa noted in his speech that the Tatmadaw has blocked food and medicine from reaching Christian majority states – Chin, Karenni (Kayah), Kachin, Karen – and Muslim minority Rohingya populations in Rakhine as a ”means by which to “intimidate and destroy religious freedom.”
In its report, ICC said: “Although religious freedom is a national right, the current governing body pushes for the spread of Buddhism. In attempts to spread the religion, the military junta has reportedly supported the Mabata, a Buddhist terrorist group that has reportedly “spread hate speeches against minority religions.”
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