‘Pray for the people of Myanmar’: as brutal army seizes control

Originally published in CBN News

CBN News has acquired security camera footage from Myanmar capturing the moment military personnel escorted a former political prisoner from his home. It’s the latest arrest of senior politicians and others including the country’s de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi since the Myanmar army staged a coup Monday.

It came as lawmakers were about to gather in the capital for the opening of a new parliamentary session. The Myanmar military seized power and imposed a state of emergency for one year, claiming that Suu Kyi’s government failed to address its allegations of widespread voter fraud and other election-related issues.

Suu Kyi’s party, The National League for Democracy, enjoyed an 83% landslide victory in the November election which was only the second democratic vote since the country emerged from 50 years of oppressive military rule in 2011.

CBN News talked to a member of the now-dissolved parliament. We have hidden her identity to protect her from possible arrest. 

She told CBN News: “It is so bad. It broke people’s hearts. For me and for my party, we are very sure the people voted for us. Our whole history is full of blood. We encourage people to have a peaceful uprising. The people used the media platform and disobedience. We also need the international pressure, and especially we need your prayer.”

Monday’s events have been widely condemned internationally, with the United States calling on Myanmar’s military leaders to “immediately relinquish the power they have seized, release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians.”

President Joe Biden is threatening to impose economic sanctions in Myanmar. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the President will be taking note of which countries are standing with the Burmese people.

A reporter asked if the statement was intended only for China. Psaki replied: “I think it is a message to all countries in the region. Countries who will be asked to respond in response to the events that happened in the last couple of days.”

President of the Council of Churches in Myanmar, Archbishop Stephen Than Myint Oo, is confident that with God’s help Myanmar will not go back to the time when freedom was restricted. He says Christians fear the persecution they experienced in the past might return. He urges them to be unafraid. 

The archbishop said: “I think some may be afraid going back to this situation. But if we believe in God and we really love each other, I think nothing should be so disappointed and tense in our hearts. I think the main task for the church is unity and for peace. The way for the church is through the transforming love of Jesus Christ. I think this is the main principle to face all the challenges.”

He asks for prayer from Christians around the world. “Pray for the people of Myanmar to have that mentality that we are one family in one country, in one house. We need to be united to each other. Pray for it so we have peace and reconciliation in our country so that we can be prosperous in the future.”