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Shan state

• Released Pastors Ordered Not to Pray

  

  On September 27th, we reported on how Chinese-backed rebels were pressuring churches in the Wa region of Shan State (read more). Reports indicate that the rebels released 100 pastors on October 5th, but only after forcing them to sign an agreement that they would only pray in their homes and not in churches. The seven who refused to sign are still being detained, along with more than 100 others.

• Pro-China Rebels Target Christians

  

  The Chinese-backed "United Wa State Army" (UWSA) rebels have been destroying churches and detaining pastors for interrogation in the Wa area of Burma's Shan State in response to new directives. The ethnic rebel group has declared autonomy for the region of Wa, which borders China where the Wa people originated before migrating into Burma.

  In early September, the UWSA issued a Chinese-language statement instructing all members of the rebel army to "find out what the missionaries are doing and what are their intentions." The statement also bans any construction of new churches and orders the destruction of any facility built after 1989 without explicit government permission. It further forbids any foreign church workers and prohibits any religious teaching in schools.