Release said it was receiving reports from its partners that some Christian groups in the country were being denied aid by the military junta, which has been reluctant to let in foreign aid and aid workers to help in the aftermath of the cyclone that struck on May 2.
According to Release’s partners in Burma, the authorities are denying aid to some Christian groups in the country and there are fears that the junta may use the aftermath of the cyclone to ethnically cleanse people groups that are predominantly Christian.
Years of fierce persecution against Burma’s largest and mostly Christian minority group, the Karen people, is well documented. They have previously fallen victim to ethnic cleansing, military attacks and have been used as human minesweepers by the army because of their faith.
The US-based Christian Freedom International echoed concerns for the Karen people. It fears that the relocation of storm-affected victims into consolidated population centres, currently being enforced in Karen State, is more to do with the junta's effort to increase its control over civilians rather than care for survivors in need of help.
The Chief Executive of Release International, Andy Dipper, said, “Release is concerned that access to many of those in need is still being denied, as a result of discrimination against Christians.
“We remain troubled that international relief funds might be misused to forcibly relocate people on grounds of their ethnicity or faith.
“Any relocation of internally displaced persons from camps or disaster areas must be voluntary. They should not be coerced in any way – including through the suspension of aid. These people should be allowed to return to their former homes in safety and with dignity.”
Release International said its partners in Burma have been bringing food to Karen survivors of the cyclone, who say they have been denied aid from the authorities. Some have gone into hiding for fear that the authorities may use the chaos to pursue their policy of ethnic cleansing unseen.
An estimated 134,000 people are dead or missing after the May 2 storm and sea surge, which largely affected the Irrawaddy Delta. Around 2.4 million people are in need of aid.
Release International’s contact on the ground, Pastor Barnabus, whose real name has been concealed for security reasons, described the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis.
“There are many Christian villages in the worst hit area,” he said. “In one township all 17 Christian villages have been totally wiped out. Only a few people survive.
“When international aid arrived the authorities discriminated against Christians. Those with the ‘C-virus’ [Christians] don’t get aid. So the churches are doing their best to help them.”
He told Release that the churches had pooled their resources together to help Karen survivors in hiding.
“They are in hiding because of rumours that the authorities will force them to undertake road construction like prisoners on a chain gang,” he said.
“The junta is systematically carrying out an ethnic Christian minority cleaning operation. It is clear they want to replace the people of the fertile swamp delta area - the rice bowl of Burma - with the ethnically Burman people. And they want to drive the Karen to a different location to mix them with the Burman.”
Pastor Barnabus is helping Karen survivors by delivering bags of rice that have been donated by churches.
He added: “These Karen have not been saved by the authorities, but by the churches. We were able to give our small gifts to survivors at a high school – about 1,700 Karen minority Christians.”
Pastor Joshua, another Release partner, runs a Bible college that was damaged in the cyclone. The students escaped unharmed.
