Authorities killed at least two people from the mostly-Christian Kachin people group over the weekend. The Kachin are one of Burma's largest Christian minorities and while no exact figures are known, experts think that between two-thirds and 90% of Kachin are Christ-followers.

According to a report issued by the Associated Press in late June, Burma's forces have clashed with Kachin rebels at least 21 times since the signing of a May 30 peace agreement.

While most of Burma's armed ethnic rebels have signed cease-fire agreements with the government, the KIO had held out on peace talks. That changed when Burma's government and the KIO vowed to stop hostilities at the end of May.

But any hope in these tentative talks was soon dashed. Vision Beyond Borders (VBB) says they received reports of violence and persecution regularly from their Kachin contacts, even after the peace accord was signed.

VBB supports several children's homes located throughout Burma, from the southern tip of the country to the nation's mid-section. Many of the kids cared for by VBB and their partners are orphans, left to face life alone by either the nation's ongoing unrest or 2008's Cyclone Nargis. This storm left between 2 and 3 million people homeless and orphaned over 60,000 children.

Two of the children's homes helped by VBB need regular support. One is located in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp for the Karen in Burma.

The IDP camp holds over 4,000 displaced Karen, and the VBB children's home cares for 40 kids who've been orphaned, abandoned, or taken in because a single parent was unable to care for them. Another VBB home is located deep within a Thai jungle and cares for 50 refugee children.

These homes need as little as $10.00USD monthly support per child to provide a safe, Christian home. See how you can help here.

In recent weeks, a team headed to some of the VBB homes to deliver supplies and check on the children. They were able to share Christ's love with over 400 children and will share more details of their trip in the coming days.

Ask the Lord to protect His followers among the Kachin. Pray that violence against this people group will stop.

The Burma Army fired four rounds of cannons on the Kachin village of Laiza.

Three people were killed and four injured. Among those injured were a 2-year-old girl and her mother, and an 8-year-old girl.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Kachin sources, Laiza serves as the base for the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). This is the first time Laiza has been directly targeted.

The Burma Army also opened fire the same morning on villagers in Kahtan. The number of casualties and injuries is still unknown. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA)–the armed branch of the KIO–was not posted in Kahtan. There was no armed conflict in the area.

These Monday attacks come on the tail-end of three weeks of air strikes by the Burma Army with jet fighters and helicopter gunships.

Conflict between the KIA and the Burma Army has been raging since the broken ceasefire agreement. Burma’s military broke the 17-year-standing ceasefire in June 2011 when they began a military offensive against people in Burma’s northern state of Kachin. The Kachin want autonomy.

Over 100,000 Kachin people have fled since the turmoil started. Among the human rights violations attributed to the Burma Army are rape, torture, murder of civilians, looting, and destruction of churches and villages.

CSW calls for international action. They have written to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. CSW urges her to bring the situation to attention as an urgent matter with Burma’s government.

The issue was raised in the British House of Commons last week. The United States and United Nations are on alert.

Please pray for believers who just lost their pastor in the Kachin state. Pray for them not to falter with the message and hope of the Gospel. Pray for the safety of the Kachin people.