By Worthy News Asia Service
"We just learned that the Burma orphans are again in a percarious position. On November 27 Thailand’s border police stormed the 'Shekinah' or 'Glory to God' orphanage in Mae Hong Son Province near the Burma border," said advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC) in a 'prayer alert' message obtained by Worthy News and its partner agency BosNewsLife.
[The police] "put the names of all the residents on a register and asked them to prepare for deportation," ICC added.
After fleeing Burma, also known as Myanmar, in June, the children were temporarily moved to an orphanage closeby. However due to the spread of Malaria in that orphanage and the subsequent death of one girl, they were quickly shifted to another location, the group said.
CHILDREN MISSING
"It has been just a week since the 76 children, between the ages of six and sixteen, were moved to the new location," some 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the orphanage on the Burma-Thailand border.
ICC said it had urged its supporters to, "Please pray that the Thai officials would have mercy on these children and allow them to stay. The best situation would be for the orphans to be granted permanant immigrant status."
Thousands of Burmese people, many of them Christians, have fled to Thailand as the Burmese army has launched an offensive against especially Karens, a predominantly Christian ethnic group fighting for more autonomy and religious rights. (With editing by Worthy News' Stefan J. Bos)