Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Burma Situation Keeps Getting Worse & Worse

We received the following appeals from Burma:

Please note: The government is taking many of the Christian orphans and will be raising them as buddhists or even worse.
Also, to rebuild Christian churches requires government permits, which they are not allowing.

Rangoon, Burma

May 26, 2008

Dear Fellow Karen & Well-wishers

With heart-broken and deepest sympathy for our Karen Baptists from Labutta, Pyapon, Bogalay Townships, I would like to convey some sad information to you and your church members.

I have visited Labutta Township from May 7-12. I went through Bassein and some villages of Ngaputtaw Township. Nargis cyclone had destroyed almost all our Karen villages and churches which are located in Labutta Township, Pyapon Township, Bogalay Township respectively. The most effected area is Labutta Township. More than 5,000 Karen Baptists died and over 20,000 are homeless. From Bogalay, Pyapon, Daydayeh, Kyaik Latt Townships, over 2,000 Karen Baptists died and 40,000 are homeless. Ngaputtaw Area’s Karen Baptist Churches lost only buildings, but the people’s lives are spared. The wind speed of this destructive cyclone was 140 mph and it took 15 hours, and had crossed Hinegyi, Ngaputtaw, Labutta, and the rest of Ayeyawaddy Division. This deadly cyclone destroyed not only our Karen villages, but also Brumese and Rakhine villages severely killed not less than100, 000 people and left more than 2,500,000 people homeless. Now, only at Bassein camp we have over 3000 homeless and desperate cyclone refugees. We also have over 10,000 people who are taking havens in other camps like, Maubin, Myaungmya, Yedwinyegan, Pyapon, Yangon, Labutta, Kawlaylu, etc. The Bassein Myaung Mya Sgaw Karen Baptist Association and Home Mission Association had arranged motor boats to convey pure water, salt, clothes, and rice to the effected villages and brought back homeless people to safety places. Now, this opportunity was closed down and the remnants in these villages have to depend on God alone.

My village- Kannyinaung was totally uprooted by strong wind, high and speedy tide or waves. My two sisters, my brother-in-law, my niece, and my grandson were carried away by this violent cyclone and died with my beloved 60 villagers/church members. When I went back there, I could not even see my father and mother’s house and the church building. Over 20 pastors and ministers died with their church members and most of their bodies could not be found until now. I have seen many dead bodies, including buffaloes, cows, etc, were floating along the rivers and some corpses, and dead bodies of cattle were stuck on the banks of the rivers and in the rice fields. Since sea waters has flooded all the rice fields and villages, farmers and villagers will surely face big problem to cultivate their rice fields and to get pure and sweet water for drinking and daily usage. Many people are now suffering from mal-nutrition, down hearted, trauma, grief, diarrhea, depression, hopeless, dehydration, etc. Their urgent needs are rice, pure water, salt, medicines, mosquito-nets, clothes and shelters to cover them from heavy rain.

Please look for some ways and means to help meet their needs. Please also ask your church members to pray earnestly for them. God alone can provide and fulfill the enormous needs of these people, human cannot. Please convey this information to other Baptist churches and our Karen Baptists. Please make many copies of this letter and distribute it to your friends and co-workers. Helping the victims of Nargis cyclone will not finish within a few months. I think it will take several months or, a year or 2 years. As I am one of the advisors of the Relief Committee of the Bassein Myaungmya S.K.B. Association, I would like to request K. Baptist churches and other Baptist Churches to extend their love and sympathy by helping the needs of our desperate brothers and sisters who are facing immeasurable problems and dangers. You can send your contribution to the Bassein Myaungmya S.K Baptist Association office and the Yagon Home Mission K.B.Association, or KBC. My telephone number is 01-552459 & 095027630.

May God use you mighty in helping these victims effectively and generously.

In his service,

An eye-witness

Advisor

Relief Committee

BMSKBA

Aids from other countries

You might heard and see many stuffs, things arriving in Yangon. But all are controlled by the Military Government. These things rarely reaching our Karen villages. Some portions might reach Burma villages but not to our Karen villages. Unless our Karen help the Karen victims, nobody will not. That is why many Karen victims don’t want to return to their villages, but they were forced to return. (just a few minutes from Bassein, I heard that all cyclone refugees at Bassein were forced to leave and return to their villages. At No.3 S.H.S Camp, some Bamas who refused to return were forced by soldiers to leave Bassein.)

Children

We heard some rumors about the children, the orphans that the government would like to keep them in their camps or orphanages called “parathitta” If our Karen Christians orphans were forced to be like that, I am sure, they will become Buddhists, soldiers, prostitutes & sold-out, etc.

Reconstruction

The Vinton Memorial Hall/Church and over (100) Karen Baptist church buildings were totally destroyed by the cyclone. To reconstruct these churches, first, we need the permission from the government. Nowadays, to obtain the permission to erect religious buildings, especially, the church building is very hard or, not permitted. Second, the expenses to do the construction are very high. Since many houses were severely destroyed, the victims will need shelters crucially. In Myanmar during June, July, August, September, usually we have heavy rain. After the cyclone, I have seen 80% of thatches (roofing & covering material) were destroyed. 90% of schools were also destroyed. The victims who went back to their villages have to make their temporary tents by themselves.

Rehabilitation

The works of rehabilitation is the hardest one. Since all their rice fields, buffaloes, cows, fishing nets, fishing boats and properties were gone, to continue their normal lives and earn their living is a very big problem. The government has no interest for the victim’s rehabilitation. Unless international countries are involved, our problem will never be solved. Through they have plough machine to do the cultivation, another problem is getting diesel or fuel. Enormous aids will be needed for rehabilitation.

May 10, 2008.

An Emergency letter from Honor Nyo

(Formal General Secretary of the Karen Baptist Convention)

To: Friends and co-workers in Christ.

Re: Nargis Cyclone

Dear Friends & Co-workers in Christ,

I am very sad to give you some information about the severe destruction and impact of Nargis Cyclone which destroyed the Delta Area of Burma seriously. It was happened on May 2-3. The speed of Nargis Cyclone was more than 140 mph. It lasted 15 hours and killed not less than 100,000 people and destroyed houses, churches, trees, schools, monasteries, boats, buildings, coconut trees, rice mills, etc. severely.

I was there from 7-11, May and have seen a lot of damage of things and people. My own 2 sisters, one brother-in-law and many relatives died. Pastor Rev-Maung Bay, Thra Center, Thra Moo Say, Thra Lah Say Wah, Thra Tha Plah, Rev. Andy, Rev. Moo Wah, Thra Raymond, Thramu Thwe Htoo, etc. died. Some of their bodies were found and buried properly but most of them could not be found and missing or may still be floating in the rivers and sea. In some families only one or two members are left and now there are many orphans in Bogalay and Labutta Township. I was reared in Kannyinaung village Labutta Township and has visited 15 villages during May 7-11 and found that all their homes, churches, animals and plantation were gone. The survived families members are now suffering from heart- broken, despair, hopelessness, grief and trauma. What they need urgently now are rice, pure water, salt, shelters, clothes, blankets, mosquito-nets and medicines. I have seen a lot of corpses are floating and stuck on the river banks. No one care to remove or burry these corpses of people and animals. We have sensed horrible smell all over these areas. Since the rainy season is approaching fast, these victims will be in need of shelters and foods urgently. To grow rice in salty water flooded areas is a big problem, also another problem is since almost all their cattle to use for cultivating their rice fields died and only a few rich farmers own plough machines the majority or farmers will be in danger & great problem. Another big problem is pure water to drink and daily usage. The government has no concern to rescuing these victims. Now, only civilian are helping and rescuing their own people to be able to rescue and help these victims quickly and effectively, we are in need of diesel/ petrol to convey foods, water, etc. and bring back children/orphans, & survivors who lost everything to refugee camps. Now the cost of diesel & petrol are very expensive. Car can reach only to Labutta Town. To be able to reach to the cyclone affected area/village, it will be lasted 8-10 hours form Bassein by motor boats.

Now at Bassein Christian Camps alone, more than 4000 refugees arrived

At Paw Bawlu village, more than 100 villagers took refuge in their village church building which considered the strongest building. At that night, they have faced a strong wind which brought waters; it flooded their village with a very speedy flow. The water has reached to 20 feet and destroyed all homes including their church. The roofing of the church collapsed and killed not less than 70 people who took refuge under it.

The pastor of Has Gyet (Thra Center) and 50 young people were invited to Mr & Mrs Tornado’s thanksgiving on 3.5.2008. Both Pastor and his wife, their children and 50 young people were also struck by that violent storm and except 5 young people. The rest were wipeout by the strong wind and speedy water to death.

My village (Kannyinaung) and its nearby village called, Ye dwe gone, Theh Gone, Hsin Chaung, Ponako which are located on a small island were uprooted almost totally by Nargis Cyclone.

I am afraid these villages/churches in that area to reestablish themselves again a village or churches in the future. Please help meet their emergency needs and pray for them earnestly.

Another urgent need of the farmers is seed paddy to grow it when the regular rain comes. The farmers used to keep seed paddy, but now, all were gone. Thatch plants and bamboo were also gone. Therefore, to rebuild their houses/shelters is another big urgent need.

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