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Statement of Chin Evangel Centenary



Subject: Statement of Chin Evangel Centenary Celebration Committee

<bold>Statement on SPDC's abuses of Religious Rights in Chin State of
Burma


</bold>	15th March 1999 marks Chin Evangel Centenaary has been
distinguished into Chinland as his grace Rev.Carson and his wife
Mrs.Carson first came and settled down with American Baptist propagating
missionary program on March 15,1899.


	According to the situation before Christianity inChinland, Chin people
and their society was under the deep darkness of the influent and burden
of worshipping the animists under unsociable life as their custom for
along time. Lightness of human society appeared as the Baptist missionary
program delivered the good news of Christ to all Chin people.


All Chin people whole-heartedly believed that believing Christianity
would bring human being to get not only achieve the salvation but also
stepping to an advanced society.That is why, Chin people adopted a
twenty-year-plan named "Christ in One Century (C.C.O.C)" as all Chin
people must be Christian from 1981 to 1999 and implemented it.

	Therefore, Christianity is being firmly rooted among all walks of life
and ages in Chin society and Evangel Centenaty Day in Chinland is so
important and exalted for all Chin people. Chin people have been
preparing to celebrate Chin Evangel Centenary as praying to God for
years.

	However State peace and Development Council (SPDC) regional authorities
has attacked to destroy their celebration in various ways. Besides that,
military authorities are continuously blocking restricting, arresting and
killing those Evangelists, pastors and deacons of C.C.O.C after seizing
the country power in 1988.

	Welcoming year of Chin Evangel Centenary prayer meetings were held by
all Christian denominations from 1st January 1999 to 3rd January 1999 in
Thantlang Township. Although all Chin Christian people set up the
memorable cross on the hil top which is situated in the north of
Thantlang, Colonel Thein Aung, the state chairman of SPDC ordered to
remove the cross.His grace pastors simply refuse to adhere the order by
claiming that was only their religious belief and wasn't the action of
offending the current military government. As a result, the cross was
destroyed by about 30 of army soldiers and police by the order of the
state chairman of SPDC at 3:30 a.m. on January 9,1999. After that, they

arrested 8 pastors and other members of C.C.O.C. Besides, the SPDC blocks
Chin Evangel Centenary Celebration by not giving permission to produce
publications, to built some memorable buildings including setting up of
the cross and ignoring to celebrate the Evangel Centenary in Chinland.

	According to the Article No.(21/3) from practiced constitution during
the democratic government in 1947, "The  State shall not impose any
disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious faith
or belief". Therefore, all entire people of the Union of Burma clearly
got rights to faith any religions.

	Burma also signed in United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human
Rights in 1948 including the Article 18, which expresses as follows;
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;
this right includes freedom of change his religion or belief,and freedom,
either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to
manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and
observance"/ Nowadays Burmese government who attend the United Nations
Conference as they say themselves representatives of the people of Burma
has a big responsibility for abusing of those rights.

	Therefore, we, the Chin Evangel Centenary Celebration
Committee,mentioned that illegally movements of the military regime were
condemned. We request to International governments and other communities
to give effective pressures on the Burmese military government and help
the innocent 45 million of people in Burma.

	In this situation, by the grace of God, we are given the kingdom and
nation, that is why, we, the Chin Evangel Centenary Celebration Committee
sincerely and sympathetically request and urge all the Chin people to
follow and embrace the will of God.


Chin Evangel Centenary Celebration Committee    

Date:29th January 1999.

New Delhi, India