The Demand for Bibles in Burma is Growing
Despite Enormous Persecution of Christians

Burma is ruled by a highly repressive, authoritarian military regime self-named as the “State Peace and Development Council.” But in realty there is no peace or development in Burma, also called Myanmar by the current military dictatorship.

Since 1999 the U.S. Secretary of State has designated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The U.S. Government has a wide array of sanctions in place against the country for its violations of human rights.

According to official statistics, almost 90 percent of the population practice Buddhism, 6 percent Christianity, and 4 percent Islam. These statistics grossly underestimate the rapid growth of Christianity, especially among the many ethnic groups in the country. Christianity is the dominant religion among many of these ethnic groups such as the Karen, Kachin, Karenni, and Chin.

The junta has not allowed permanent foreign religious missions to operate in the country since the mid 1960s, when it expelled nearly all foreign missionaries and nationalized almost all private schools and hospitals. The junta did not pay any compensation in connection with these extensive confiscations.

Proselytizing is forbidden, and the printing of Bibles in the country is strictly prohibited. Christian groups, however, have brought in foreign clergy and religious workers for visits as tourists, but they have to be extremely careful to ensure that the junta does not perceive their activities as proselytizing.

According to Christian Freedom International President Jim Jacobson, “The scarcity of Bibles is a stark reality for Christians in Burma, and as the underground Church continues to grow by the thousands – especially in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis -- the demand for Bibles in Burma is greater than ever.”

Since the 1960s Christian groups have had enormous difficulty importing religious literature. All publications, religious and secular, remain subject to control and censorship. It is illegal to import translations of the Bible in indigenous languages.