By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) - A Christian native missionary in Myanmar says “more than 200 Christian ministers” have died of COVID-19 as the military government restricts medicines and oxygen supplies.
In addition, “due to the civil war in my mother’s native village, about 90 families had to flee to the forest for their safety” last week, the missionary said.
His observations were confirmed by aid workers who reported a rising death toll among Christian leaders. “At least 60 pastors” died in the Chin region alone during Myanmar’s “third wave of COVID,“ Christian charity Barnabas Fund told Worthy News.
Most of the victims reportedly passed away in June and early July.
Worthy News agreed not to identify the Christian missionary involved in major Christian missions in Myanmar or Burma, where a coup devastated the country.
The well-informed Christian said “the Burmese military government” uses the coronavirus outbreak as “a weapon to attack and torture all the anti-coup citizens.”
LACKING OXYGEN
Being “void of morality and ethics, the Burmese military government is restricting oxygen supplies. Earlier, relatives of COVID-19 patients were able to get oxygen. But now those involved in the Myanmar coup make it more difficult to get oxygen,” he said.
The Christian missionary spoke of “a rule that oxygen supplies can be given only if a person has a letter of approval from a hospital-owned and run by the Myanmar coup” leaders.
“Relatives of COVID-19 patients’ queue to get oxygen for their loved ones. On top of that, the Myanmar coup [leaders] also restrict supplies of medicines to COVID-19 patients.”
The missionary noted that many pharmaceutical suppliers were forced to close for at least 15 days. He said the military conveys that “if citizens don’t accept them as a legitimate government, they will be deprived of oxygen, medical treatment, and medicines.”
While COVID-19 isn’t deadly for most people, many vulnerable citizens in impoverished Asian countries like Myanmar have reportedly died of new variants.
“Myanmar is in a very pathetic situation. People now stand in queue for cash, for oxygen, and for burials. In major cities like Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw, regardless of belief or race, COVID-19 dead bodies are piled up for cremation,” the missionary explained.
CHRISTIAN MINISTERS
He suggested that due to COVID-19 related causes, “more than 200 Christian ministers across the nation have gone to be with the Lord”.
Among those who died was “the present General Secretary of Falam Baptist Association and who would be the General Secretary of Chin Baptist Convention next year,” he said.
“One of my aunts also died. A lot of my cousins and relatives are found positive, and they all will need oxygen in a few days.”
He urged prayers for “the people of Myanmar and believers in Myanmar.” The Christian said they “desperately need God’s healing touch and protection from this deadly COVID-19 disease.”
The missionary warned that the third wave of COVID-19 was “brutally hitting Myanmar, claiming approximately 1,800 lives every day since the last few days.” In many cases, death would reportedly have been preventable with adequate medical care.
The fieldworker stressed that “Each of our mission fields will also need to have one oxygen set each for emergency cases.”
MISSION FIELDS
Additionally, there is a lack of “medicines for positive patients in our mission fields,” the missionary said. His group also seeks a “vaccine for our office workers and the leaders of our mission fields.”
Additionally, the missionary urged prayers for those being detained or forcibly displaced as fighting between government forces and opponents continues.
Christian aid workers agree that the COVID-19 has further complicated efforts to restore calm and democracy to the Southeast Asian country.
“While engaging in war against its people, the government has done little to protect the population against the coronavirus,” Barnabas Fund complained.
Mass protests erupted across Myanmar since the military seized control on February 1. Elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party are among those detained.
At least hundreds of people, including children, have been killed in demonstrations and a related crackdown, several sources say.
Barnabas Fund said that especially minority “Christians in Myanmar are suffering an appalling tragedy at the hands of a dictatorial government.
Under attack from the Myanmar military and with severe hunger looming, they are also wracked by COVID 19.”
CHRISTIANS ATTACKED
The Christian charity added that the Myanmar military is repeatedly launching attacks against civilians of mainly Christian ethnic groups such as the Chin, Kachin, and Karen.
“Many church buildings have been bombed, even while sheltering unarmed civilians, mainly women, and children” Barnabas Fund observed. “Many tens of thousands have been forced from their homes. Most fled with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, even barefoot.”
Some Christians are in camps for Internally Displaced Persons, while others survive in the jungle or host communities elsewhere in Myanmar.
Thousands of Christians also fled the mainly Buddhist nation of 57-million people across national borders, Worthy News established.
The United Nations recently warned of “mass deaths from starvation, disease, and exposure” after “brutal, indiscriminate attacks against civilians” in Kayah State, which has a sizeable Christian population.
About 100,000 people from Kayah have fled their homes, according to Christian aid workers.
However, the Christian missionary cited by Worthy News believes prayers and support from the international community will eventually lead to change in his troubled nation.