A crisis in Burma

Thank you for everything you’ve done to support the Rohingya during the ongoing crisis in Rakhine State, Burma. An ethnic and religious group that the government considers not even citizens, they’ve been suffering persecution and discrimination for decades. Since 25 August last year, the Rohingya, a largely Muslim ethnic group, have been targeted by the Burma Army in truly shocking violence. Homes have been burned, and rape and violence have been rampant, claiming the lives of thousands of men, women and children.

CSW has been campaigning to bring the fate of the Rohingya to international attention as the crisis continues to worsen. Most recently, we brought the situation in Rakhine State to the attention of EU authorities as they met in November, and called them to put pressure on Burma’s government to end the crisis.

To date, over 600,000 Rohingya have fled to nearby Bangladesh, and approximately 120,000 people are confined in squalid camps where they’re being blocked from receiving UN aid. The UN Secretary-General has called the situation a ‘catastrophe’ and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has described it as a ‘textbook example of ethnic cleansing.’ It’s a desperate situation that urgently requires our prayers.

For more information on the crisis in Burma and why we advocate for and pray on behalf of people of all different faiths,read Ben Rogers’ Perspectives article.Join us in praying for Burma using our Prayer Diary.