Christian leaders express concern about atrocities committed on Burmese refugees

Various Christian leaders have expressed their grave concerns about the violation of human rights and continuing atrocities committed on ethnic minority communities in Myanmar by the military junta, urging the Indian Prime Minister to take action.

"India therefore has a special role to play on issues of peace, justice and human dignity in neighbouring countries. Possibly the worst of them is Burma, whose border with India makes developments in that country a potential threat to the stability and peace here at home," John Dayal, president of All India Catholic Union and member, National Integrity Council, said in an open letter to the Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

"We with great sorrow bring to your notice the unabated terror unleashed by the military junta on the Burmese people. While the general suffering of the Burmese people is heart–rending without need for any exaggeration in reporting, we find it particularly distressing that the junta specially targets minority ethnic and religious groups. Many of the victims who have been tortured, raped and killed are Christians. That makes the issue very personal for us, apart from our human concern for the entire Burmese people," he said.

A memorandum submitted by various Church leaders and human rights activists to the Prime Minister urged the Indian Government to exercise "its tremendous global goodwill and commitment to basic human rights to help restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma."

"We urge the Indian Government to grant safe haven to asylum–seekers and exiles from Burma, in particular those working to restore peace, justice and civilisational values in their motherland," the memorandum, signed by Joseph D'souza, president of the All India Christian Council (AICC); John Dayal, president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU); Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI); Dr. Luis Bush, director, Transform World and many other key leaders of Christian and human rights organizations, stated.

"We believe that the systematic and extreme human rights violations, neglect and misgovernance perpetrated by the military regime are no longer an internal matter. The consequences of such mis–governance that injures the life, dignity and freedom of the people of Burma also impacts on India. Burma's Station Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has perpetuated conditions conducive to the increase in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, and the spread HIV/AIDS. There have become a scourge in Northeast India and threaten Indian human security," it stated.

"At a human level, rights violations encompass forced relocations, slave labour, extra–judicial killings, religious persecution, torture and crime against women. Its victims now number into the hundreds of thousands. Tens of thousands, some entire tribal groups, have had to flee to Indian and neighboring countries," it noted.

"Aiding and abetting the SPDC is not in economic and security interest of India or this region. It will only embolden and enable the regime to commit further abuses," it cautioned.

"We request you, therefore, to also support a non–punitive UN Security Council resolution on Burma. Indian can, and must, advocate for and support genuine economic and political reforms in Burma, starting with the release of all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, and cessation of military hostilities against ethnic civilians," it concluded.