With extraordinary courage, demonstrators against February’s military coup in Myanmar/Burma are braving daily attack from the police and military. Over 275 have been killed, thousands wounded, and more than 2,800 arrested.
Until the past decade of reform, Myanmar had been under direct military rule for a half-century. It now faces an epic struggle to escape yet another junta since the coup on 1 February. But the determination of protesters is not fading. A country-wide civil disobedience movement persists, bringing public services to a halt. In almost every city, slogans in huge letters in English are visible from the air, on roads, lakes and rivers — phrases such as ‘We Want Democracy’.
Perhaps most significantly, the coup has united the country’s diverse ethnic and religious communities. Even the beleaguered Rohingyas, the Muslim-majority group that has faced severe persecution and genocide, are showing support for the movement despite having been the targets of abuse and discrimination from some in the democracy movement in recent years. Certain Buddhist pro-democracy activists, seeing this, have admitted their wrongs and apologised to the Rohingyas.
Join us to pray for Myanmar this week.
Almighty God, You are sovereign over all earthly leaders and nations.
We place the nation of Myanmar into your hands, in the knowledge that you are a just and compassionate God who longs to bestow peace, justice and freedom on individuals, communities and nations.
We pray that you would do this for Myanmar, as protestors against the military coup continue to show extraordinary courage in their calls for justice.
We ask for a complete end to all violence against protestors, and that democracy would be restored to this beautiful country whose people you love.
Almighty God, above all we pray for peace and reconciliation, and that Myanmar would be a nation where people of all faiths and none can live freely, with equal rights and treatment, and without fear.
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.