Junta summons Kachin Christian Churches
The Kachin Post / July 28, 2009

Myitkyina Christian Council (MCC), an alliance of Christian Churches in Kachin State, has informed local Churches in Myitkyina and surrounding areas in northern Burma to hold a meeting with Burma army northern commander Brig-Gen Soe Win, according to Churches in Myitkyina.

The MCC invitation, which is initiated by the council’s chairman Rev. Mading Zung Kyang, was distributed to all Churches and their respective Churches committee members to attend the meeting with Brig-Gen Soe Win on Wednesday, July 29. The meeting was requested by Brig-Gen Soe Win to all Kachin Christian Churches through MCC, according to the invitation letter.

The meeting is scheduled to hold at the third-floor meeting hall of the St. Columbus Catholic Church in downtown Myitkyina, according to the MCC invitation letter. The meeting time will be at 9 am. The invitation didn’t mention any reason for the meeting. However, the invitation letter mentions that the travelling costs will be reimbursed for the participants who come from remote areas.  

A local Church leader, who is in condition of anonymity, believes that the political issue will be the main agenda of the meeting. Brig-Gen Soe Win would persuade or pressure leaders and committee members of Kachin Christian Churches to give pressure Kachin Independence Organization to make clear decision on Border Guard Force (BGF), he said.

End of June 2009, Brig-Gen Soe Win met with an over a dozen of Church leaders of MCC, requesting them to ask KIO to make decision on whether to accept Border Guard Force or not. MCC comprises of Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Independence Christian Churches.

The KIO has been inconsistence with the junta proposed Border Guard Force, which intends to transform KIO’s arms wing Kachin Independence Army (KIA) into a border guard force under the command of Burma army. On July 8, KIO leaders proposed that the organization wants KIA to transform Kachin Regional Guard Force (KGRF) instead of BGF. The organization neither accepts nor denies the junta’s proposal yet.

On June 12, 2009, MCC promulgated prayer statement destined to all Christian Churches and its leaders, inviting to hold prayer service on June 28, 2009. The prayer service is planned to pray together for the future of Kachin State and the leaders of Kachin to lead the right path for future of Kachin as well as all Kachin should strive to follow its leader in unity for sake of our nation.  

Over 90 percent of Kachin in Burma are Christian. Baptist and Catholic Churches are majority amongst Kachin community.