WCC NEWS - Situation in Myanmar increasingly dismaying, WCC central committee states

The situation for people in Myanmar—including more than one million ethnic Rohingyas—is increasingly concerning, expressed the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee in a public statement.  A woman carries a bag on her head through the Tahan Market in Kalay, a town in Myanmar. This market is located in Tahan, the largely ethnic Chin section of the town. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 26 June 2023 "The WCC conveyed its concerns and deep disappointments about the alarming situation in Myanmar during the past two years,” the statement reads. “It is with great distress that the WCC has been receiving reports of the arbitrary arrest and detention of civilian political leaders, human rights defenders and journalists, lack of due process for those arrested, the disproportionate and deadly use of force against protestors, and restrictions on independent media and access to information.” The statement notes attacks by Myanmar’s military on civilians, schools, health facilities, and churches. “We are also concerned about the plight of the many refugees from Myanmar who remain in limbo, including more than one million ethnic Rohingyas from Rakhine State in Bangladesh who Myanmar refuses to recognize as its citizens,” the statement reads.  The WCC central committee usually meets every two years and serves as the chief governing body of the WCC between assemblies. This year’s meeting is the first since the central committee was elected at the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2022. Statement on the situation in Myanmar Photo gallery of the WCC central committee meeting WCC central committee meeting, June 2023 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland