Military officer preaches that new Baptist preachers should support Burma’s junta

Men and women just graduating from training to be Kachin Baptist preachers, in Burma’s northern Kachin State, were preached at themselves yesterday, in an unusual way.

Rev. Dr. Saboi Jum, former KBC's general secretary joined the KTC graduation on March 6. Photo: Kachin News Group.

They were told to preach that church followers should support the military junta’s mission in Kachin State, by the Northern Regional Commander of the junta, preachers said.

Maj-Gen Soe Win visited the 20-day training for all pre-service Baptist preachers at Kachin Theological College (KTC), in Nawng Nang village, 10 miles north of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State.

The KTC is hosting the 6th Pre-service Preacher Training of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), which represents over 400,000 followers in military-ruled Burma.

Over 200 pre-service graduate students from different Theological schools in the country, who will serve in the churches under the KBC, began the training April 5.

Commander Soe Win told the audience, “All go back home to your churches and preach to followers to stop anti-dam protests of the Irrawaddy River. Preach and persuade Baptist followers and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to accept the junta-proposed Border Guard Force (BGF)”.

Moreover, the commander informed them the KTC will has to work under management of the Shalom Foundation, also called the Nyein Foundation, a national NGO led by Rev. Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum, former general secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) and the ruling junta. He also mentioned that the junta will continue to co-operate the KTC, preachers said.

Maj-Gen Soe Win also donated 1,000,000 Kyat (US$1,020) to the KTC, which was received by Dr. Saga Hkyen Naw, the KTC’s former principle who retired after 20-years of service last month, said participants.

Commander Soe Win was accompanied at yesterday’s meeting by his vice-commander, Brig-Gen San Htun, other high ranking military officers in the Command and about 100 members of the junta-sponsored Union Solidarity and Development Association, according to KTC sources.

Because the Kachin communities are dominated by Christian Churches, since late 2007, the Buddhist military junta has significantly used the churches and church leaders as a political tool to push the KIO to accept the junta-proposed BGF, as well as organizing Kachin people to vote in the upcoming elections to be held later this year.

No date has been announced for the election.


By KNG