WITNESS DESCRIBES ATTACK ON AUNG SAN SUU KYI FOLLOWERS
Account conflicts with junta's reporting


WASHINGTON, June 2, 2003--Police and thugs attacked students traveling with
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as she visited northern Burma,
according to a new eyewitness account obtained by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
This account contradicts the junta's claim that deadly violence erupted
spontaneously between rival pro- and anti-government factions.

Aung San Suu Kyi reached Saing Byin Gyi village, about 500 miles north of
the capital Rangoon, at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time Friday, where she
made
remarks aimed at encouraging the relatives of her detained followers in the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), according to the account.
At about 7:00 p.m., two miles outside of Depayin village, about five trucks
loaded with members of the junta-sponsored Union Solidarity Development
Association stopped them in the road--disgorging police, men dressed as
monks, and convicts.

Guided by the headlights of their vehicles, these men then charged several
hundred NLD supporters and Aung San Suu Kyi's entourage with bamboo stakes
between two and three feet long, according to the eyewitness account, which
was obtained by RFA's Burmese service.

"When the attackers tried to hit Aung San Suu Kyi’s car, four or five
students covered her with their bodies, and they were beaten hard. The
driver turned the car into a dirt road and drove off from the scene. NLD
Vice Chairman Tin Oo was also beaten up and was seen being taken away by
three
policemen," it said.

"A group of motorcyclists who tried to follow Aung San Suu Kyi’s car were
intercepted between Butalin and Monywa, and about 100 police beat up its
riders. The bodies of a young monk and a student, killed in the clash, were
taken back to Monywa. However, two military trucks chased this group, and
the group had to flee, leaving the bodies, which the soldiers took away with
them."

The ruling junta, which has controlled Burma since a violent crackdown of
pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, has claimed that violent clashes
between NLD supporters and thousands of pro-government protesters left four
people dead and 50 others injured. The government also claims to have placed
Aung San Suu Kyi and 19 members of her party in "protective custody."
Aung San Suu Kyi's whereabouts remained unknown as of Monday.

Reports of what exactly happened on Friday remain sketchy, in part because
the junta has cut phone lines of residents near where the incident occurred
and of senior NLD members.

The incident has promopted an international outcry. The British government
in particular has voiced concern following reports from Burma that Aung San
Suu Kyi may have been injured.

Copyright © 1999, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. http://www.rfa.org.

8:41:51 PM    pray []

from Heart4China

CHINA FOCUS

DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER FOR WORLD EVANGELIZATION

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS FOR JUNE 8

THE CHURCH IN CHINA

In many ways, China is a land of contrasts.  There is probably no aspect of Chinese life where the contrast can be more clearly felt than in the churches.  On one hand, the church of China is growing by an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 new believers per day.  Remarkable witnessing opportunities can be reported in many places throughout the land.  On the other hand, many servants of God are undergoing persecution for their Christian walk and testimony.  China, the world’s most populous country, is still controlled by a communist government that adheres to a doctrine of atheism.  Please pray today for the churches of China, thanking Him for the great influx of new believers.  Intercede for those who are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom, praying that even in persecution, their testimony will shine brightly, pointing others to the Light of the World.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Leadership training continues to be one of the major needs of the fast growing house churches of China.  Pray that the worldwide Christian community will be diligent in bringing its best to the task of facilitating training opportunities for thousands of Chinese church leaders.  Pray that as God calls people from all over the world into the China harvest of lost souls, they will respond with obedience.  Pray that all who lead Chinese people to faith in Christ will also commit to giving them a vision for training others.  Pray that the God of the universe will provide the leadership training that is necessary for the church of China to grow not only in numbers, but in spiritual understanding and maturity.

CURE FOR SARS

A top Chinese official recently encouraged his compatriots to “trust in science” to solve the SARS epidemic.  Another top leader recently asked other international leaders to “have faith in China” to resolve the crisis.  A billboard in Northern China screams that “SARS will surely be conquered by our government under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.”  None of these comments is unusual in a Communist country that denies the existence of God and demands loyalty to the government.  Pray that through this time of fear and uncertainty, many Chinese people will turn to the Savior, and place their faith in Him.  Pray that a cure for SARS can be found in a way that all glory will go to God. 

SALVATION FOR ALL IN CHINA

Pray for the people of China who have felt threatened and vulnerable by the spread of SARS throughout China.  Pray that the rampant fear -- considered by many to be a greater illness that the disease that has spawned it -- will cause many people to turn to Christ.  Pray that Christians will seek opportunities to share the truth with those who are seeking.  Pray that the one billion plus lost people of China will come to understand that there is a consequence much worse than physical death for those who do not know Christ.

BIBLE DISTRIBUTION

Although millions of Bibles have been legally published in China, the demand greatly exceeds the supply.  Many believers and seekers crave their own copy of God's Holy Word, but do not yet own a Bible because of cost, availability in their geographical location, or the red tape sometimes involved in securing a copy.  Pray that ongoing Bible distribution efforts in China will allow for every believer to have access to the written Word of God. 

CHRISTIAN PROFESSIONALS

Praise God for the continued witness of Christian teachers in classrooms throughout China.  One such teacher was recently able to wrap-up a class discussion on death with a strong affirmation.  "I am not afraid of death.  I am a Christian, and I know there is life after death."  Pray that through Christian teachers and other professionals in China, many Chinese people will hear the good news, and choose life over death.

MEGACITIES WITHOUT CHRIST

Common sense would dictate that many megacities in China are so polluted that nobody would choose to live there.  But Christian workers are deliberately moving into many of those hazy, smoke-filled cities in order to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  Pray that the protective hand of the Father will be all who risk their health for the sake of the gospel.  Thank God for the continued increase of new workers who are coming to the harvest, and pray that their numbers will continue to increase.  Ask God to give spiritual victory and fruit to all who seek to reach China megacities for Christ.

EXPANSION OF SOUTHERN CROSS

Bibles and other valuable spiritual materials are being distributed regularly to Mainland tourists visiting at least one Southeast Asia country. Through this special ministry, many are hearing of Christ and believing.  Pray that God will provide the personnel that are needed to allow for expansion of this ministry into other locations throughout Asia.

THREAT OF CULTS

Ask God to protect Chinese Christians from the influence and attack of cults.   The outlawed Falungong cult provides a threat in that aggressive authorities often fail to make the distinction between Christians seeking to glorify Christ, and Falungong practitioners with political agendas.  During recent years, as the Chinese government has cracked down on Falungong, many Christians have been erroneously implicated along with them.  Posing an even greater threat to Chinese Christians is the Eastern Lightning cult that deliberately infiltrates house churches to lure unsuspecting new believers into their heretical group.  Last year they even kidnapped some leading house church leaders and used brainwashing and torture to try to win them over to their heretical claims.  Pray that God will place His hand of protection over all Christians who are targeted by cults.

MISPLACED MASSES

An estimated 1.3 million Chinese people will be relocated by 2009 as China builds the Three Gorges Dam in an attempt to harness the waters of the Yangtze River.  That is approximately one out of every 1000 people in China!  But this represents only a small portion of the millions of Chinese rural dwellers who are migrating to the cities every year in order to find better jobs.  Pray that all who are in transition, both those who are being resettled in new communities and those who are wandering about trying to find a home, will seek the true meaning of life, and will find their hope in Christ Jesus.

12:53:42 PM    pray []

The military government in Burma has reportedly closed down the offices of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in most major cities. The closures come after the Nobel Peace Prize winner and a score of top party leaders were detained following reports of a clash in northern Burma.

Government and opposition sources Sunday said the offices of the opposition National League for Democracy party have been closed in most cities, including Rangoon and Mandalay.

They say that a half-dozen senior party leaders in the Burmese capital have been placed under house arrest and their telephones cut off.

The crackdown came as NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 19 party officials entered a second day of detention in a town in Sagaing Division, some 700 kilometers north of Rangoon. She had been on a month-long tour of northern Burma to open party offices and speak at rallies.

Government spokesman Brigadier-General Than Tun said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters were placed in protective custody after a clash with what he called their opponents. He indicated that the government blamed NLD organizers for the violence, which the government says resulted in four deaths and at least 50 people being wounded. There was no independent confirmation of the report.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has made several trips outside Rangoon since she was released from house arrest a year ago and her party was allowed to resume some activities.

The crackdown is causing concern among Western governments, which have been pressing the Burmese authorities to move more quickly toward democratic reform.

A U.S. State Department official, Josh Glazeroff, told VOA's Burmese Service the U.S. government hopes the crackdown will be temporary. "We hope that any detention is, indeed, momentary and she and those traveling with her will be released immediately, in line with the official statement that she was detained temporarily for her protection," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has expressed concern over the situation. He says the developments underline the urgent need for national reconciliation in the country.

Mr. Annan's special envoy for Burma, Razali Ismail, is due to travel to Rangoon on Friday to try to revive the reconciliation talks that have been stalled since last year. Mr. Razali on Sunday told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that he intends to proceed with his trip.

11:02:33 AM    pray []