Christians in parts of Myanmar have been ordered to hold Christmas early so that the festival does not conflict with elections due to be held on 28 December.
Churches in Myitkyina, Putao and Tanai have been told that Christmas celebrations should be concluded before 20 December by order of the Military Council in Kachin State.
Locals are reportedly unhappy with the decree but know that failure to comply could lead to arrest on charges of disobeying government orders or even rebellion.
A Christian in Tanai told Kachin News: “I feel this is an act of religious repression. I have never experienced this in all my life as a Christian. The way they are forcing this is like forcing someone to hold their birthday party on a day that is not their actual birthday. Who would be happy with that? And this celebration is infinitely more important than one’s own birthday; it is the most sacred festival for every Christian.”
The Christian community is not short of grievances against the military rulers of Myanmar. On 30 November a 23-year-old reverend, Pau Muan Lian, disappeared. A week later it emerged he had been press-ganged by the military, despite a law exempting members of religious orders from conscription.
Religious liberty group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), claims that the law is being used to target the leaders of religious and ethnic minority groups, and so disrupt the community and their religious life.
Mervyn Thomas, founder president of CSW, said, “Myanmar’s military junta is orchestrating a fraudulent election built on violence and control, and these latest actions confirm that it is explicitly using the polls and its new laws to attack religious minorities. Ordering Christians to celebrate their holiest festival on a date dictated by the military is a significant violation of freedom of religion or belief.
“Similarly, forcibly conscripting a young minister strips his community of leadership and represents the ultimate coercion—especially when it directly contradicts their own law.
"It is also worth noting that these incidents are two visible, emblematic cases that have been reported in the media, with similar rights violations and violence against civilians continuing unseen across the nation in light of blanket internet blackouts, particularly in Chin and Kachin States.”
Thomas added that international leaders should see the upcoming election as a sham that must be condemned.
