FREEDOM OF FAITH

[OKKAR66127@xxxxxxx]

FREEDOM OF FAITH

by Kyi Kyi Hla

(Excerpt from Myanmar Perspectives Vol: II 3/96)

It has been the brithright and prerogative of the Myanmar peoples to
profess faith in any kind of religion they choose, or for that matter,
not to embrace any religious teaching if they so wished. There has
never been and will never be any sort of coercion or obligation in the
matter of religious faith in our country. That is why, from time
immemorial people of different religious faiths have lived together in
amity throughout the long years of our history without a single case
of religious persecution. 

Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Moslems and animists dwell together and
respect each other's covictions. There has never been any 
kind of religious inquisition, no pogroms, no witches burned at the
stake, nor have there been religious wars. Myanmar kings, like
absolute monarchs everywhere, possessed the power of life and death
over their subjects but never was this used for religious persecution.
Buddhism has flourished, but not at the expense of other faiths. True,
all Myanmar leaders of yesteryear and today are patrons of Buddhism,
but they have always been generous in their support and encouragement
of other religious sects.

For Myanmar people, religious tolerance and respect for another's
faith is part of the normal course of events. It is nothing unusual or
new, but because most Mynamar people are devout Buddhists, and be they
rich or poor, always ready to donate generously towards the
propagetion oftheir faith, there is a possibility that some is
informed persons might harbour misconceptions about freedom of faith
in our country.

The following translated excerpts from the address made by the
Secretary l of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lieutenant
General Khin Nyunt at the Thirty-Second All Myanmar Kachin Baptist
Conference and the Centennial Commemoration of the Creation of the
Kachin Script held at Mandalay on January l, l 996 will surely dispel
all doubts on the matter of religious freedom in Myanmar.

At the inaugural ceremony of the Conference Lientenant General Khin
Nyunt, after extending his congratulations on the auspicious 
occasion of the centenary commemoration ofthe origin ofthe Kachin
script and on the peace and harmony that had been achieved with our
Kachin brethren, emphasized the fact that the emergence of  the Kachin
Baptist Council was due to the freedom of faith and the mutual love
and respect which existed between the national races ofthe time. It
could be traced, he said, to the permission granted by King Mindon to
visiting American Baptist missionary Dr.Cushing to begin his work in
Bhamo. King Mindon, in spite of being a truly devout Buddhist and
patron of the Fifth Buddhist Synod, had wisely and magnanimously
granted the pemission requested.

Mr Roberts, another American missionary later asked King Thibaw for
permission to open a school for Kachin nationals and in 1883 he
established a primary school where the children were taught to read
and write in Myanmar. He said King Thibaw was a man well-versed in
Buddhist literature. Yet with good will he permitted missionary work
and the teaching of the Bible to Kachin nationals. The first Kachin
baptism and the origin ofthe Kachin script bear testimony to the fact
that Myanmar monarchs had been liberal in their views on religion and
had granted freedom of faith. He noted that American Baptists had been
freely allowed to progagate their religion and that they had also
hadthe opportunity to inventthe Kachin script based on the spoken
lauguage . Earlier in 1834, a Mr Bronson had used Roman letters to
invent the Kachin script but success was achieved only in 1895. 

The Secretary 1 then lauded the diligence and good will of the eight
missionaries who had worked on the Kachin script for sixty years.
Except for Mr. Bronson the remaining seven had used the Myanmar
alphabet for the Kachin script. It was however Dr. Ola Hanson who
finally succeeded in devising the Kachin script which is now in use
based on the Roman letter invention of Dr. Bronson. Dr. Ola Hanson
compiled over 10,000 Kachin words,  of which 7,000 to 8,000 were
everyday expressions.

The Secretary then spoke of how the Kachin language in written form
flourished through various stages, of the publication of an 11,000
word Kachin English dictionary in 1906, the publication of the first
Kachin newspaper in 1914 and the books that were issued including a
Kachin grarnmar and hymns. The peak of this development was reached
when the Bible was translated into the Kachin language and duly
presented to the Kachin nationals on the 50th anniversary of Kachin
baptism in 1927

He attributed the improved relations between the different Kachin
clans such as the Jingphaw, Lawwaw, Lacheik, Rawan, Lisu and Zaiwa to
the emergence of the Kachin script. It also widened their sphere of 
knowledge which led to greater understanding and to religious,
economic and social progress.

Commemoration of the centenary of the Kachin script, the Secretary
stated, was a fitting tribute to the Union Spirit and the solidarity
of the Kachin nationals and expressed his hope and good wishes that
the centennial of the Kachin Baptist Council be celebrated in the same
memorable manner in Myitkyina in 1997.

He further explained how the Kachin Baptist Council had now been
ffiliated to the Myanmar Council of Baptists and said that it had the
second largest membership among the 15 racial and regional
associations, which according to the 1994 figures, has 260,000 members
in the entire country. 

He stressed the freedom of faith enjoyed under the government of the
State Law and Order Restoration Council and how the Ministry of
Religious Affairs had been separated from the former Ministry of Home
and Religious Affairs and reestablished as an independent body in
order that the affairs of all religions in the country could be dealt
with equitably.

He also spoke of equality before the law irrespective of religious
faith and the impartiality injob opportunities and in the educational,
health and social spheres. He elaborated on the support and
encouragement given so that Christianity could thrive, such as
publication of religious literature, newspaper, radio and television
coverage, exchange visits for religious missions, seminars and
establishment of relations with international Christian associations.

The census figures of 1993 show that there are over 2.2 million
Christians and 5, 200 churches in Myanmar.

The Myanmar people, the Secretary 1 said, believe that religion
benefits mankind both in secular and religious affairs and they
therefore hold in equal regard the faithful of otherreligions who are
free from suppression. The Secretary remarked that Myanmar nationals
are familiar with Christianity which stresses loving kindness.

He also touched upon the fact that some persons who bear ill-will have
in collaboration with foreign broadcasting stations, been circulating
rumours to the effect that there is religious suppression and persecu
tion in Myanmar. These groups are bogus religious or social
organizations intent on inciting unscrupulous persons to disrupt peace
and progress in Myanmar, with a complete disregard of the loving
kindness, forbearance and forgiveness taught by Christianity. He
reminded the genuinely faithful to beware of these unscrupulous beings
who will use Christianity as a tool to suit their purposes and
exhorted them to denounce such persons of ill-will.

In couclusion, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt called upon all Kachin
nationals to constantly consolidate national unity and strive
forperpetual peace in the Kachin State, guided by the tenets of peace
and good will preached by the Christian religion. He also urged them
to co-operate in endeavours for the realization of the political,
social and economic objectives of the Kachin State and thus achieve
equal development as an integral part of the Union of Myanmar.

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Excerpt from Myanmar Perspectives Vol: II 3/96

Keyword

Myanmar, Burma

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