Burma: New Report Exposes Religious Persecution of Ethnic Chin Christians

Religion Today | Published: Sep 14, 2012

Burma: New Report Exposes Religious Persecution of Ethnic Chin Christians

A new report by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) shows ethnic Christians in Burma's Chin state continue to face systematic religious discrimination at the hands of the government and are often forced to convert to Buddhism, according to Religious Liberty Monitoring. "Chins continue to face religious persecution," says Salai Za Uk Ling, CHRO's program director. "Despite strong government reforms, these efforts have yet to be extended to religious freedom." Benedict Rogers, Christian Solidarity Worldwide's East Asia team leader, says that while there are positive signs of Burmese reforms and grounds for optimism, "there is a danger of premature euphoria. ... There is still a very long way to go. The change of atmosphere has not yet resulted in a change of system." He adds: "One of the most under-reported aspects of Burma's human rights record has been the regime's discrimination and persecution of religious minorities and violations of religious freedom."



Burma: New Report Exposes Religious Persecution of Ethnic Chin Christians