Response: April - June 2021

Your insight into religious freedom

April–July 2021

'We are not safe any more'

Also inside this edition: Campaigns: Two important breakthroughs Event: 24 hours of global prayer and more...

REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

The coup in Myanmar/Burma

& prayer diary

Turn to the back cover to start your new Prayer Diary

Lead story: In focus: Campaigns The United Nations

Two campaigns two important breakthroughs ■ Two campaigns - the first for Professor Tarfa and Du

Merci orphanage in Nigeria, and the second to end Uyghur forced labour in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region – saw hugely encouraging breakthroughs in recent months. Here we share how far we’ve come, and what we’re still working towards.

Campaign update: Professor Tarfa Professor Tarfa had experienced harassment and had even been imprisoned unjustly by the Kano state authorities in the past. However, none of this prepared him for the events of Christmas Day 2019.

‘It is a day all my family will never forget…[when] about 65 plain clothes policemen invaded our home and arrested me’. Not only was Professor Tarfa detained but, over the coming days, 27 children in all were removed from Du Merci centres in Kano and Kaduna states and placed in a government-run home in Kano.

The professor has faced a series of false charges, including child abduction and forgery, and appears to have been targeted simply for running a Christian orphanage.

1,918 of you have campaigned for all charges to be dropped At the same time, as a result of our advocacy, the British High Commissioner in Abuja, and the UK Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised the case with the Nigerian authorities.

"I want to appreciate the family of CSW for standing beside us by praying for us, by campaigning to make my freedom from the prison [where] I spent almost a year" 2

Professor Tarfa's wife Mercy with the children of Du Merci

Emmanuel, Destiny, and Mercy Tarfa, all aged four, were transferred to an unknown rural location.

All images by CSW unless otherwise stated

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Lead In focus: story: The United Nations Campaigns Crying out to God in prison While in prison, Professor Tarfa began a 150-day period of prayer and fasting. Wonderfully, the professor was released on bail on 10 December 2019, the 149th day. And on the 150th day, he and his wife Mercy held a party where he broke his fast. ‘We danced for joy to be reunited.’

The battle for justice continues At the time of writing Professor Tarfa’s trial is ongoing. Not only that, but 16 of the children, aged four to 15, are still in state custody. Twelve are in the government-run home; one (Moses) was transferred to hospital, having suffered first degree burns when his mosquito net caught alight; and the three youngest, all aged four, have been separated from the others and

"We danced for joy to be reunited"

transferred to a remote location. CSW is working alongside Professor Tarfa, seeking urgent interventions from the UN and in the UK and US to secure their release. Although we’re unable to go into detail at this stage, we’ve been encouraged by the response so far to pressure from supporters like you.

Professor Tarfa’s trial resumes on 1 April, when we hope to have a ruling. Please pray for: • All charges to be dropped.

• All 16 of the children to be returned home, particularly the three youngest who were transferred to a remote location (Destiny, Emmanuel and Mercy).

• Moses’s healing from burns, particularly on his hands; that he won't require plastic surgery, or be discharged prematurely.

Get updates

on Professor Tarfa and the Du Merci orphanage case at csw.org.uk/ dumerci-case

Campaign update: How to take on a giant

Breakthrough on China campaign ■ In the last edition of Response, our article ‘How

to take on a giant’ shared details of our campaign for freedom of religion or belief in China.

We’re delighted to report that, in January, Marks & Spencer publicly signed the brand commitment, providing assurances to its customers that its products will not be linked to the abuses of Uyghurs-a predominantly Muslim ethnic group.

Money talks, and we believe that if enough brands refuse to buy cotton from the Uyghur region, this will force the Chinese government to stop subjecting Uyghur people to forced labour.

They are the first top-tier global retailer to make its commitment public and this was thanks in no small part to your campaigning and prayers. We thank God. Our strategy, as part of the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour, is to create a domino effect so that as more brands sign, it becomes untenable for others not to.

"We are delighted to report that Marks & Spencer publicly signed the brand commitment"

Professor Tarfa with some of the Du Merci children

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Take action

in our China campaign at csw.org.uk/campaigns 5

Your stories: How you can help

'A journey of prayer': Get involved with Robert’s sponsored bike pilgrimage

"Fundraising for CSW gave us, as a church, a focus outside of the pandemic"

■ In 2022, Robert de Berry is leading an amazing team of

■ When COVID-19 put a halt to Purley Baptist’s sponsored abseil plans, the church got creative in its fundraising for CSW. Michele Bailey, a CSW Ambassador, explains.

My church, Purley Baptist, nominated CSW as our charity of the year [for 2020]. I had lined up people to do the [Guildford Cathedral] abseil as the big launch. So, when COVID-19 brought a sudden halt to plans, Emily in our office came up with the ‘20 Challenge’, after reading that CSW works on over 20 countries.

Our services were online, but we interviewed Tim in his cycling gear and Mark with his kayak!

The idea was to do a personal challenge with ‘20’ in it. So, someone set up a running club on Strava - £20 to join; while our assistant minister Tim cycled his personal best - 120 plus miles in a day! And our youth minister Mark and church member Kevin paddled 20km in their kayaks in one day.

Fundraising for CSW gave us, as a church, a focus outside of the pandemic.

It kept people missional minded when we could have looked inwardly. It gave us a sense of a family working together it really blessed us as a church.

Get involved

Our initial target was £3,000, but we have raised over £5,000! People at church sponsored those doing the personal challenges, along with their family and friends.

• Plan your own sponsorship challenge. Visit csw.org.uk/beafundraisinghero • Speak to your church leader or mission committee about nominating CSW as your church’s charity of the year! Visit csw.org.uk/churches

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cyclists on a bike pilgrimage to raise money for CSW and Release International. It’s not his first time doing this – he and a team helped raise over £60,000 through another bike pilgrimage in 2017! We spoke to him about his big plans.

Why are you raising money for people facing injustice for their faith?

It affected me personally hearing some of the stories at CSW events, meeting with persecuted Christians and reading about the denial of religious rights to people of other religions. For instance, the atheists who have suffered a great deal in Bangladesh, the Uyghurs of China and the Rohingya Muslims [of Myanmar/Burma].

What are the plans?

The pilgrimage will start on Saturday 14 May from North Foreland Point’s Lighthouse (east Kent’s most easterly point), and will wend its way on an inland route to Land’s End and Penzance by 1 June. After the bank holidays, we will resume from Penzance on 6 June by a coastal route back to east Kent, ending on Saturday 25 June.

Why are you calling this a pilgrimage?

It is a journey of prayer and we are hoping that about 40 churches will host us. Local Christians will be invited to join us in prayer for those who are suffering for their faith.

How can people get involved?

• Become a sponsored bike pilgrim – you could ride with us for the full five weeks or just a day!

• Help as a host or back-up driver – if you can host our cyclists, provide refreshments or carry cyclists’ luggage, it would be a great help.

Get involved

To express your interest in becoming a bike pilgrim, host or back-up driver, please visit csw.org.uk/bikepilgrim where you will also find a map of the route.

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Event: 24 hours of global prayer - 14 May 2021

Around the world: Latest News

Latest news updates

24 hours of global prayer ■ Join us on 14 May 2021 for a prayer meeting unlike any other, as we partner with hundreds around the world to create a global wave of prayer.

Beginning at 12 noon UK time on 14 May and ending at 12 noon on 15 May, our teams in Nigeria, South East Asia, the US, Mexico and the UK will each host online meetings over the 24-hour period, with stories, guest speakers and more to inform and fuel our prayers.

14 May is the 18th birthday of Leah Sharibu, the abducted Nigerian schoolgirl who in 2018 refused to renounce her faith in exchange for her freedom, and is still being held by her terrorist captors.

Leah’s faith inspires us to trust in God and persevere as she does. The focus of the event is to continue praying for Leah,

and for all those suffering for their faith around the world.

We’ve invited guests from around the world and hope to also be joined by Leah’s mother, Rebecca.

As well as joining as many of the events as you’d like, you can also sign up to cover an hour in prayer (either on your own or invite friends to join you).

Don’t have internet access? Choose an hour to pray on 14 May and use the Prayer Diary Week 5, 9-15 May to guide your prayers.

Find out how you can take part csw.org.uk/globalprayer 8

Nigeria

Above and below: Protests in London against the violence in Kaduna

Abductions of Christian leaders Kaduna state witnessed the abductions of several Christian leaders in December.

19 December: Rev Luka Dani of the Evangelical Church Winning All Church was abducted following an attack on the Galumi community in Gwagwada, Chikun Local Government Area (LGA).

He was eventually released on 23 December and has now left the area.

21 December: Rev Thomas James of Godiya Baptist Church, Gwazunu, was abducted following an attack by over 100 well-armed men on the Gwazunu community in Gwagwada. The militia went on to attack the Gbaja Katarma community, killing eight people and injuring four others.

24 December: Mrs Jumai Luka, the wife of Rev Luka Shaho of the Assemblies of God Church in Ungwan Waziri, Chikun LGA, was abducted by armed men who had beaten her husband ‘mercilessly’.

26 December: Pastor Emmanuel Egon Bako, the state chair of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), was abducted along with his wife Cindy during an attack on the Albarka Prayer Camp in Jema’a LGA. The couple was released on 27 December, reportedly following payment of a ransom.

Abductions have continued into 2021.

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Around the world: Latest news

Feature: The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime

Eritrea

Prisoners released Seventy Christians were released from prison in January and February.

Dr Tahir Mahmood

Pakistan Murder based on 'religious differences' In November Dr Tahir Mahmood, 31, an Ahmadi Muslim, was murdered. He was shot in front of his family at his home in Nankana Sahib District, Punjab, Eastern Pakistan, just after they had finished their afternoon prayers. His father Tariq and his uncles, Saeed and Tayyab, were also shot, but survived. The suspect who was taken into police custody confessed to carrying out the attack based on ‘religious differences.’

The Ahmadiyya community, the most persecuted religious group in Pakistan, has faced increased targeting and killings in the last year.

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On 27 January, six female prisoners who’d been detained for worshipping in public in September 2020 in Dekemhare, south-east of Asmara were released. Then less than a week later on 1 February, 21 female and 43 male prisoners from Evangelical and Orthodox backgrounds were released.

They had been held without charge or trial for periods of between two and 12 years. In December 2020, 28 Jehovah's Witnesses were released, three of whom had been detained for 26 years.

There is speculation that these releases are an attempt by the Eritrean regime to distract international attention from the country’s active role in the ongoing war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where Eritrean troops have been accused of committing atrocity crimes.

A new tool in the toolbox: The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime ■ 'The establishment of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime is a landmark initiative to underscore the EU’s determination to enhance its role in addressing serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.' These words were spoken by Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, following the launch of the latest tool in the EU toolbox. But what could this mean, in practice, for freedom of religion or belief?

What exactly is the new EU tool?

On 7 December 2020 the EU officially approved the creation of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.

The mechanism allows the European bloc to impose EU-wide travel bans on individuals and entities who have committed or been associated with serious human rights violations, freeze

their assets and prohibit the availability of funds to them. The sanctions regime can be used to target people who have committed human rights abuses while working on behalf of their governments, as well as unaffiliated individuals. What is more, individuals and groups can be targeted, irrespective of where they are in the world and where their crimes were committed.

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Feature: The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime Muslim ethnic groups have been placed in ‘re-education camps’. Inside the camps conditions are dangerously unsanitary and overcrowded; detainees are subject to beatings, sleep deprivation, forced medication and solitary confinement.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Licensed under CC BY 2.0

There are similar mechanisms already in place in the US, Canada and the UK. The EU Member States arrived at a relatively rapid consensus regarding the creation of the mechanism. This is particularly encouraging given that the bloc has recently struggled with repeated internal disagreements and vetoes.

What could it mean for freedom of religion or belief?

Since the mechanism allows for the targeting of specific individuals responsible for human rights violations, this could have significant implications for many of the countries we work on.

The US Magnitsky Act – on which the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime is modelled – has been used, for example, to impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in China’s Uyghur region, where up to three million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly

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The UK has used its own sanctions regime to target, among others, high-ranking military generals from Myanmar/Burma involved in the systematic violence against the Rohingya people and other ethnic minorities; as well as two organisations involved in the forced labour, torture and murder taking place in North Korea’s gulags.

As EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Mr Borrell acknowledged, ‘Sanctions alone cannot prevent or end all human rights violations and abuses.

They are intended to change an actor’s behaviour and serve as a deterrent to serious human rights violations.’

Freezing a perpetrator’s accounts and preventing them from travelling where they wish will certainly make it much more difficult for them to continue their abuses. And, the EU hopes, the threat of the sanctions will in itself serve as a deterrent and encourage potential perpetrators to reconsider their actions.

Additionally, the EU scheme could pave the way for greater information-sharing and stronger co-operation on human rights with other countries, such as the UK, US and Canada.

"Crucially, however, as with other sanctions regimes, the EU equivalent is lacking one critical component.

There is currently no mechanism by which civil society – that is, NGOs like CSW – can formally engage in both the consultation and review of the sanctions."

Where does CSW’s work fit in with this?

The sanctions regime has been approved for the next three years, after which time it will be reassessed by the EU institutional bodies.

Until then, the sanctions list will be reviewed annually.

Crucially, however, as with other sanctions regimes, the EU equivalent is lacking one critical component.

There is currently no mechanism by which civil society – that is, NGOs like CSW – can formally engage in both the consultation and review of the sanctions. This input is vital so that we can give a voice to those on

the ground, who will also be affected by the sanctions.

At the launch event, in response to a question from CSW, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights said that he is ‘very open to a discussion and consultation with civil society, but that ultimately the implementation of a civil society appeals mechanism rests with the Member States’.

If the EU and its Members are determined to uphold their human rights commitments, then the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime must include a civil society appeals mechanism.

Pray

that the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime will make a real difference for people who suffer injustice for their faith or beliefs. See Prayer Diary Week 11: 20-26 June.

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In focus: Cuba

The double-edged sword:

How social media is used to harass Cuba’s religious leaders

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All photos in this story: Giulio Paletta/CSW

■ Social media platforms such as Facebook are a great way for us to stay connected to the people we care about, enabling us to share messages and photos quickly and easily. It’s especially been a lifeline for many who would otherwise be feeling even more cut off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

■ But in Cuba, social media has a darker side. State security uses the internet to monitor closely anyone who dares to speak out about the government’s human rights abuses. Fake social media accounts are often used to spread lies and disinformation about courageous activists and religious leaders.

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In focus: Cuba

"Although he was falsely accused of 'hoarding', police told him he was being arrested 'so that you learn that illegal churches in Cuba are not allowed.'"

"In Cuba, pastors are more at risk than criminals" One of the worst examples is a series of articles posted on a blog believed to be run by Cuban state security. These articles focus on Reverend Alain Toledano Valiente, a national leader of the Apostolic Movement, a network of independent churches.

The articles are salacious and sensationalistic – accusing Alain of domestic violence, of rape, of embezzlement – all completely invented claims. Even more disturbingly, many of the articles also target his daughters, some of whom are minors, with truly distasteful accusations.

These articles emerged around the same time he found himself regulado, barred from leaving Cuba, and was repeatedly summoned by Cuban police – over 17 times in a one-month period in 2019 – for interrogations.

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The purpose seems to be to attack the pastor on all fronts – severely restricting his ability to travel, threatening him with criminal charges and the possibility of imprisonment, while simultaneously attempting to destroy his reputation as a religious and moral leader. And of course, the attacks on his daughters and family have caused them anxiety and stress.

‘In Cuba, pastors are more at risk than criminals,’ Alain told us. ‘I committed no crime; it had to be manufactured…

They want me to stop being a pastor.’

And social media isn’t the only way the government oppresses faith communities.

On 12 January this year, Pastor Karel Parra Rosabal was at home when the police arrived. After searching the house, they arrested him on charges of ‘hoarding’ - having tools for his bicycle repair workshop without proof of purchase. They also confiscated the tools.

As is common in Cuba, the pastor earns a supplementary income by running a small business, a legally registered bicycle repair workshop.

All the items he was accused of ‘hoarding’ were acquired legally, and he produced proofs of purchase.

Although he was falsely accused of ‘hoarding’, police told him he was being arrested ‘so that you learn that illegal churches in Cuba are not allowed.’ The government has refused to allow Apostolic Movement churches such as his to register, effectively rendering them illegal.

"I committed no crime; it had to be manufactured" During the COVID-19 pandemic, accusations of ‘hoarding’ have on occasion been used by the authorities to target religious leaders, many of whom are providing food and other provisions to those in need in their local communities. This is just one of the ways the Cuban government has exploited the pandemic to intensify its harassment of faith communities.

Pastor Parra Rosabal was eventually released after ten days in detention; however, his tools were not returned to him, meaning he may struggle to provide for his family.

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In focus: Cuba A changing landscape When CSW began working on freedom of religion or belief in Cuba 20 years ago, it would have been hard to imagine today’s landscape in terms of the flow of information in and out of the island. Back then, we largely relied on contraband, handwritten letters smuggled on and off the island, and the occasional badly connected phone call or recording.

Today most Cubans are connected to the outside world in some way, whether through a smartphone sent to them by a friend or family member,

On the frontlines: Zhang Zhan which enables them to use messaging apps like WhatsApp; or through internet access, albeit painfully slow at times, which facilitates the use of email and Facebook.

So the next time you use the internet or social media, take a moment to pray for those in Cuba for whom access to the outside world is a double-edged sword.

What are we doing about this?

As we continue to receive information from partners on the island, and where victims of FoRB violations permit us, we share their stories. We hold events (often online) raising awareness of the situation with decision makers, such as the UN Human Rights Council. We then make specific recommendations for how these decision makers can influence the situation - such as by raising prisoners’ cases with the Cuban authorities, so that they know that the world is watching.

Keep lifting Cuba to God in prayer using the Prayer Diary Week 2: 18–24 January.

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Called to speak the truth: Zhang Zhan, Wuhan whistleblower ■ China has seen a severe clampdown on freedom of expression

in recent years, with journalists, human rights defenders and activists being repeatedly targeted by the state. Since the start of the pandemic – and the increased international attention on China that’s come with it – the authorities have certainly not been any more willing for the truth to be made known.

Yet, despite the dangers, there are countless individuals in China who remain determined to take a stand for justice and share the facts. We consider the story of just one of these incredibly brave individuals: Christian human rights defender Zhang Zhan.

response to the pandemic infringed on human rights, and whether attempts had been made to cover up the seriousness of the outbreak.

‘We should seek the truth and seek it at all costs. Truth has always been the most expensive thing in the world’

On 14 May Zhan was taken away from her hotel room and placed in a detention centre in Shanghai.

She spent over seven months there, during which time her health deteriorated drastically.

In early February 2020, Zhan travelled to Wuhan, the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak. She went there on a mission: to report on the pandemic and ask some very difficult questions. She was determined to discover whether the authorities’

But her investigations came at a price. She always knew they would.

On 28 December Zhan was eventually tried and sentenced to four years in prison, charged with ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’ – a charge that is regularly levelled at Chinese lawyers, activists and journalists.

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On the frontlines: Zhang Zhan Twitter/@consultorzhang

‘I hope that I can make a little breakthrough. Too many people are unwilling to speak and stand up for justice because of fear’ Zhan had been determined to expose the truth, even though she was fully aware of the danger she’d be putting herself in by doing so.

In a conversation with one of her lawyers in December, she shared her motivations. Zhan explained that she felt compelled to speak out against the injustice she could see happening around her; that she couldn’t bear to see people suffering; and that she felt convicted by her Christian faith to do what she thought was right.

It was this same motivation that led Zhan to go on hunger strike in protest at her unjust detention. In January of this year one of her lawyers reported that she had partially ended her hunger strike, but that she ‘appears to have aged several decades’ and ‘feels psychologically exhausted’ by the ordeal.

‘If I were to face God, I would pray sincerely for the perpetrators and ask Him to forgive their sins’ Her lawyer also explained that, since her arrest, Zhan has prayed regularly for God to forgive the sins of others; for those who’ve wronged her and those who’ve been trying to conceal the truth.

Since her trial in December, Zhan is no longer allowed to see her lawyers or members of her family – though the authorities have claimed this is due to the pandemic. Her parents have been under surveillance, and the lawyer who defended Zhan has been disbarred.

It’s possible that we won’t hear anything about Zhan’s wellbeing for some time.

Pray Zhan told one of her lawyers: ‘I will keep praying and pondering

over God’s words.’ Pray that Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate, would be near to Zhan, give her comfort and strengthen her in her convictions.

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REUTERS/Stringer

'We are not safe any more'

Update: Myanmar/Burma

Myanmar/Burma’s coup shatters hopes for democracy, religious tolerance and human rights

■ Images of tanks and soldiers on the streets, and the sound of gunfire against peaceful protesters reverse a decade of fragile reforms.

From her release from house arrest in 2010, through to her election victory and the past five years as de facto head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi is now back where she started: in detention.

Benedict Rogers, Senior Analyst for East Asia, explains the situation in Myanmar/Burma.

The coup on 1 February stunned the world. Although it had been rumoured, few expected the military to do it.

It is true that the army has a history of staging coups and it isn’t keen on losing elections, as it showed in 1990 when it refused to accept Suu Kyi’s first victory, consigning her to 15 years under house arrest. In 2008 it drafted a new constitution designed to keep Suu Kyi out of power, and rammed it through in a sham referendum.

Nevertheless, since then it had appeared that the military had come to some kind of accommodation with

Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD).

In 2015, the NLD won an overwhelming majority in the election. Suu Kyi became ‘State Counsellor’, although the military – under the constitution – held control of three key ministries, and controlled a quarter of the seats in parliament.

In 2020, the NLD won an even bigger victory at the polls, but that did not really threaten the military’s authority.

Indeed, the military had the best of all worlds – real power without any 21

Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun

Update: Myanmar/Burma that violence could quickly escalate, especially towards religious and ethnic communities, such as the Rohingya and other Muslims.’

‘We are not safe any more’

"Any hopes that democracy would lead to religious tolerance and freedom seemed far off" accountability, leaving it to Suu Kyi and her party to defend their actions to the international community. Suu Kyi had already sacrificed her reputation by defending the military’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingyas - a predominantly Muslim ethnic group at the International Court of Justice.

So why throw all this away in a coup?

The only rational explanation is that this was about the vain ambitions of one man, the Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing. Knowing he is due to retire this year, it seems he decided to take matters into his own hands.

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What does this mean for human rights and freedom of religion or belief in Burma?

The past decade of reform saw some initial opening up, but in recent years the rise of ultra-Buddhist religious nationalism led to anti-Muslim violence, and the genocide of the Rohingyas. Christians also continued to face restrictions, discrimination and occasional violence.

Any hopes that democracy would lead to religious tolerance and freedom seemed far off. But the military coup sets things back much further.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said: ‘Given the history of brutal atrocities by the Burmese military, our fear is

The impact of the coup is already being felt in Burma’s ethnic states.

David Eubank, founder of the Free Burma Rangers, wrote on 7 February: ‘Here in Karen State, the Karen people feel like the coup only reveals overtly what they and every ethnic already knew; that the army is totally in charge...Their own lives haven’t changed: they were attacked before the coup and they are being attacked now after the coup. Holding their babies in hiding places under the trees, they told me, “We don’t need you to give us food and medicine and shelter; just stop the Burma Army from attacking our villages...If you stop them, we can take care of ourselves.”’

After over 20 years of advocacy for Burma, the events of this year have been heartbreaking for me personally.

One good friend told me: ‘We are not safe any more. We are being followed.’

a global arms embargo. We need cross-border humanitarian aid to the ethnic states, because aid delivered in-country can’t reach many of the most vulnerable.

"..if they believe they can get away with it, they will simply carry on" Min Aung Hlaing and his henchmen must be made to pay a very high price. If their position becomes uncomfortable enough, it just might make them back down, but if they believe they can get away with it, they will simply carry on.

Burma’s Cardinal Charles Bo called for peace and dialogue, and for the release of everyone who has been arrested. ‘They are not prisoners of war; they are prisoners of a democratic process,’ he wrote in a statement. That must be our prayer for Burma today. Release the captives, respect the will of the people and help the country on to a path towards genuine democracy and real peace.

What can be done?

One thing is clear: statements alone don’t cut it. We need robust, targeted pressure. That means sanctions against the military. We must avoid broad-based sanctions that hurt the people of Burma, but we cannot let a coup occur with impunity. We need

How you can help

The situation in Myanmar/Burma is changing rapidly - please keep checking csw.org.uk/burma and our Twitter feed @csw_uk for the latest updates, and to find out how you can help.

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We believe you can help. Get involved at csw.org.uk

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