Myanmar Prayer Diary March
Myanmar Update
Diary from one of our partners
Baptist Children’s Home
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to let us know you are praying. linda@bch-inc.org.
Linda Brooks, President
March
March 7: this night, soldiers occupied university buildings and hospital buildings in every region.
March 8: Today four people were killed by gunshot, a total killed 68 already, and injured severely 376, and arrested 1527. In the night, there were gunshot sounds everywhere in Yangon city. In Sanchaung township which is downtown Yangon, soldiers surrounded about 300 young people who were protesters. Finally, with the help of the crowd, the young people could escape.
March 9: Today, again very bad news. Aung San Suh Kyi’s bodyguard was arrested and killed by S. In Yangon, A School principal was arrested by S. and carried away. The next day, his wife was informed to collect his husband’s dead body.
March 10: NLD MP elected was arrested and the next day his wife was informed to collect her husband’s dead body.
March 11: a handicapped who was sitting in front of the house was shot. Today, 13 people were killed. Last night, S. came to our Bible College area and tried to occupy our building. We fervently prayed and they turned in another direction. We did hear gunshot sounds the whole night. The pregnant woman hid young people, and finally, she was shot, and dead.
March 12: there was protesting in the night, it is reported that 32 people were killed by shooting in Yangon.
March 13, there was a demonstration day and night. According to the report, about 30 people were killed again.
Dreadful Sunday, March 14: We had a worship service at 10:30 am at our Bible College Compound Assembly Hall. We were about 50 people. After the worship service, we all depart from the church for our own home. On the way, we saw the crowd protesting near our house. Soon after we arrived at our house, we heard gunshot sounds and big noise, shouting of the people. From our window, we looked outside, we saw people running here and there for their lives. This happened in the town where we reside. Then we saw very thick smoke and we came to know that three company buildings were burned near our Bible College building. The burned three company building owners are Chinese. In the evening, a hospital worker told us there 102 dead bodies at the hospital, killed by shooting. The killing place is near our house. At the midnight, martial law is announced. We are now under martial law. At midnight one more company building was burned up again. Soldiers are now everywhere in our town. S. town is also under martial law.
In other parts of Yangon also, there was killing on that day.
March 15: When we wake up, a news report says, there were over 200 people killed on Sunday in Yangon city. In many towns and regions across the country, there were protesting and shooting, and killing. Hospitals, schools, universities are occupied by the army. Civilians are persecuted, tortured, and killed.
Pregnant women and children were also tortured and killed.
We do appreciate your care and concern. God will take care of His children. So far we are safe.
March 16: Yesterday, 29 people were killed by soldiers. Two persons walked on the road, and they were shot brutally. Today (March 16), at a shop, near our Bible College, around 3:00 pm soldiers came by truck and took away 6 persons. No one knows where they are kept, and what things will happen to them. Moreover, one building was burned up again. H. town, where we live, has been under martial law. Soldiers are everywhere. Roads are blocked by civilians for security. Life is in danger.
We rest in God’s protection.
March 17: Today is also a terrible day. The town where I live is called H., Yangon. H. is under martial law which is horrible. Soldiers are everywhere, they beat, they kick, they arrest and take away, and they shoot. Near our Bible College, a tricycle driver was shot while he was sitting on his tricycle. They shot him and took away his dead body. Today, I did hear gunshot sounds the whole afternoon. We do not know how many people were killed in our town.
In another region called K. town where many Chin people who are Christians live. Soldiers arrested and shot the people. It is heartbreaking that 6 persons were killed by gunshot, one of them was our former Bible College student. He was a youth pastor at Christian Church in Mandalay. Three days ago, he went to his hometown to visit his parents. While he was riding his motorbike, he was shot. A woman was sitting in her home and soldiers entered her house and killed her. Other 4 persons were also walking on the road, they were shot and killed.
In other places, the same thing happened. No one knows yet how many people were killed today. About 200 thousand people left Yangon city and went to rural areas. Life is in danger. We dare not go outside, we might be shot. We could not sleep properly, soldiers go around the town and enter into houses and carry away whoever they want.
Thank you for your hearted prayers. God is our protector.
March 19: Today's situation is not good. Soldiers go here and there. They shot people here and there, and people died, we do not know how many.
March 20: “Oh, Oh…How empty is the town H. where I live, once full of people from all walks of life! Ordinary citizens, daily laborers, factory workers, business owners, office workers, financiers, taxi and rickshaw drivers, ferry trucks are all gone from sight. Hundreds of thousands of people flee their homes in rural areas while others hide inside. All shops, markets closed. What is going on? Am I having a nightmare that might be ignored in the morning? No, no, I am not. I am awake, unfortunately.”
Yesterday, a gentleman, who was engineering, was arrested and this morning they informed his family to collect the dead body.
Near our children's home, while a father and his two sons were walking on the street side, they were shot and all of them died. Near one of our mission church buildings in Yangon, three trucks came and carried away three persons.
In downtown Yangon, a bulldozer crashed many private cars in front of an apartment building. How cruel they are!
It is known that 6 persons were shot and killed today in Yangon city. There were shooting and killing in other parts of the country. We have no idea how many people were killed today. Terrorists are driving on the street here and there with their guns; from time to time gunshots are done. People are terrified.
Our missionary LB informed me that this afternoon there was a horrible shooting near his house in P city. P city is 47 miles away from Yangon city. There were dead bodies in the city. They do not know how many dead bodies were there. But it is sure that not few.
I believe no government or even the devil can operate outside the permissive will of God. At the same time, I believe God answers His children’s prayers and He protects His people.
This night at 11:00 pm, next door to JT who is one of our Bible College faculty, they smote the gatekeeper and entered their housing, and knocked on the door of the apartment. In that apartment, no one was there. And they broke the door and entered the apartment and destroyed furniture. All the family members had left their house two weeks ago. The community leaders told the soldiers that all the family members were not there for two weeks, and then the community leaders were carried away by their truck. No one knows where they kept them.
Around 8:00 pm, one of my preacher friends called me and said that his youngest son is a wanted person as he was also there in the demonstration. His son hid somewhere, and the preacher himself also needs to hidden somewhere. I helped him to hide.
March 21: This Sunday, one person was shot at his head and died. This was not a good Sunday.
March 22: Today Pastor A called me from Mandalay city and told me that demonstrators were shot by machine guns and four were dead. One of our missionaries from Kawh Taung town which is at the bottom of Myanmar told me this evening by phone that the civilians were arrested and shot at homes, on roads, even fields.
Across the country, trouble is going on. It is like a battlefield. Many people fled to rural areas, to India, to Thailand. Many people are still at home without a job, not knowing what will be coming to them.
I just give you an update so that you can pray for us specifically.
March 23: A seven-year-old girl was shot in her father’s arms inside their house in Mandalay city. In the night, they broke some houses and arrested people, and took away.
March 24: This day was a silent strike. Yangon city was silent; it was like no people place. No shop opened, no shopping center opened, people were inside their houses. All the cities and big towns in Myanmar are like that. In the night, they entered into some houses in the town, where I Iive, and arrested some and took away. At 11:20 pm, a taxi driver, a believer, we use him a lot, called me and told me that they knocked on their door, they kept silent, they broke their neighbors’ houses and arrested them. The taxi driver with his family fled very early morning to the outside of the city.
March 25: Today is not a good day. In big cities, big towns, and small towns also, there are turmoils, shooting, killing, torturing news. In Taungkyi city four persons were shot and died. Civilians are trembled, persecuted, killed, shot, tortured. People are fleeing from cities to rural areas, and mountains, and beyond the country.
There are 29 children at our Hope children’s Home. Near the home “they” take their camp, and the children see them every day, they hear their activities every night. The children hear gunshot sounds and the children are mentally sick. They tremble in the night. I cannot find words to express how difficult a situation is.
What will happen tonight, we do not know.
As a whole, the situation is worse and worse.
Please continue to pray for God’s people. Pray for the whole country too.
March 28: Today is a bad Sunday for Christians who live in Tahan – Kale. Afternoon at 3:00 pm, the civilian demonstrators were shot in front of the Assembly of God church, an eye-witness said four Christians were killed, and eight of them were brought to the clinic. Another eye-witness phoned me that many were injured badly and he believed that more people were dead. The civilians also fight back in a defensive way, they used homemade weapons, whatever they could find. More soldiers came from the central to fight the civilians. Now is 9:16 pm, shooting is still there. Just now BIMS coordinator informed me that the shooting happens near his father-in-law’s house (where he stays). Bloody road, injured people were carried nonstop, crying and shouting, shooting, he said.
Our hearts weep all the time.
There might be fighting the whole night.
Let’s continue praying.
Bro T
