Kachin News Group

One of the biggest Christian prayer services is underway in Burma’s Northern Kachin State since 6 a.m. local time today to halt the Myitsone dam project on the country’s longest river the Irrawaddy, said local prayer goers.

This is the first and largest inter-church prayer service so far this year and it is being conducted by Myitkyina Zonal Kachin Baptist Church based in Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State.

The non-stop 24-hour prayer service is taking place in every church belonging to the Zonal Church and hundreds of people in each church are praying after fasting, one at a time till tomorrow 6 a.m., those in Shatapru Kachin Baptist Church in Myitkyina told Kachin News Group today.

The Zonal Church has a total of 59 sub-divisional churches and it is the largest with about 100,000 followers in 12 zonal churches under Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) in military-ruled Burma, said KBC pastors.

“We are fasting and praying from 6 a.m. from January 18 to 19,” said a pastor in Du Kahtawng (or Du Mare) Baptist Church.

“We are praying especially for the people who live around the construction site and for all of us,” he added.

The staff of Myitkyina Zonal Church conducting the prayer service told KNG, “most people are praying for a halt to the dam construction and their problems such as overcoming the difficult relationship between the Buddhist-led Burmese junta and the church denominations. “We are praying because we are facing so many problems”.

“We believe if we really trust and pray to God we will get the answer, that is why we are praying,” said the staff.

“The Kachin Independence Organization (the main Kachin armed and political group) also could not do anything. We the public are still living under different forms of oppression under the junta like slaves, but we believe we will get what we deserve one day,” added the zonal staff.

There are six main prayer topics but the prayer for halting Irrawaddy Myitsone is the main one prioritized by people and church leaders.

It is also meant to pray for the lives of native Baptist populations along Stilwell, or Ledo Road in Hukawng Valley who are threatened with losing their land, livelihood and culture following the seizure of land by the Rangoon-based Yuzana Company since 2006, according to the prayer agenda.

“We are praying on six main points provided by the Zonal office,” said a resident of Du Kahtawng who concluded her prayer. She said, everyone can pray as they wish, without any time limit and more than 600 local believers in Du Kahtawng Church have prayed today.

“It is the first time I have experienced all 59 sub-division churches praying together on the same day and the same time. We got more strength when we prayed,” she added.

The Myitsone dam construction site is located over 20 miles from Myitkyina and was officially opened last year on December 21. The project is being implemented by China owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI), Asia World Company and the Burmese junta.

More than 15,000 people from at least 60 villages are facing displacement after the junta ordered people living around the construction site to move to other places. Millions of residents living alongside the Irrawaddy River including the capital city are scared of dying if the dam collapses because it is 100 km from the Sagaing fault line said, local environmental groups.

A local pastor said, Myitsone hydropower project is the main topic of discussion in every community in the capital.

“Actually most of the people cannot tell about the facts of the construction and extent of endanger but everybody is scared and insecure,” said the pastor.

The Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) has reported on the affects of the hydro power project. It will destroy the historic places of ethnic Kachin and thousands of people, who depend on Irrawaddy River, will face livelihood problems.

“We are afraid but no one can think about it because we need to rush for our daily life,” said, the resident from the city.

He said the military regime is yet to come up with the positive or negative effect of the construction.

“This is a loss for the public not for them (junta). They will continue to do their job,” said a pastor of Du Kahtawng.

Ethnic Kachin people inside and outside the country are continuing to protest over the dam construction and overseas Kachins will send an appeal letter with their signatures to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on January 26.

The Kachins in Singapore have also collected over 100 signatures yesterday and are ready to send the letter to the Chinese Premier, said a resident of the country.

The authorities are restricting protests and searching for protesters, said the resident of the capital.

“One of my friends is involved in protests over the dam construction like sending letters and distributing leaflets. Now he is on the run because the military authorities came to know of his activities,” said the sources close to him.