Myanmar (MNN) — The military regime ruling Myanmar has extended its emergency powers until 2023. These powers give soldiers more authority to detain civilians.
The junta has promised to hold free elections in the future, but they say they now need more time to stabilize the country. The military seized power from the elected government in a February 2021 coup.
Atrocities
Meanwhile, numerous soldiers are having changes of heart. Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “AMG staff work in several refugee camps along the Myanmar border. They were able to confirm the stories that we’ve all been reading that soldiers are admitting, even with tremendous guilt, to killing, torturing, and raping innocent citizens as they carried out orders from the military leaders.”
“Even the elderly and children have been targets.”
It’s not a small number either, Dennett says. “We’re hearing that a significant number of soldiers, after learning that they were not just going to be serving as guards, are indeed defecting.”
At the camps, AMG cares for people fleeing the violence by crossing into Thailand. Many children are unaccompanied, either losing their parents or being separated from them. Dennett says, “Some of the children we are serving were found scavenging to survive. Now they depend on the support that we’re offering.”
Get involved
All this work is being done in the name of Jesus. You can support these refugees at amghelps.org. Dennett says, “We have just been so blessed to be able to serve them, and also share the hope of Christ with them and many families there.”
Please pray for the AMG team on the field as well. Ask God to give them strength and endless love.
The header photo shows the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Myanmar can be seen on the opposite bank. (Photo courtesy of Manop, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
