FORUM • LETTERS

Cry Tears for Burmese People

Letter from EMMA CANTOR

2008 MAY 23

 

Subject: “Cry Tears for Burmese People”

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 21:29:07 -0700 (PDT)

From: EMMA CANTOR

Dear friends,

Your prayers become so important at this time in the lives of Burmese people. About 128,000 of them are missing, dead and devastated... and the numbers are going up as there is no way to make a quick response to the crisis. As you know, the Burmese people have been in bondage for so many years by political oppression and militarization, more so today as the government imposes tight restrictions on relief operations.

As I keep coming back to Myanmar, I have learned so many essential things in life. The Burmese people are loving people. They are peace loving creatures and they live in perseverance and with so much patience. They can go along in dire poverty, praying and praying for God’s intervention to come. But the cyclone came, and it blew my mind that 128,000 of them are gone.

My last trip in February was very clear. During the 16-hour train trip from Mandalay to Yangoon, I smelled, I saw, I experienced their lives. Their lives are so difficult. To me it felt like living in rural Philippines in the ‘60s. For them there was no other choice except to live. I didn’t eat the whole day long because you cannot just eat when you want to. But if you dare, you have to forget the reality and presence of poverty, with all the dust that enter every hole in your body. You practically breathe and eat dust. If you want to escape the dust, you have to trick your mind and say dusts don’t exist.

The train looked like a hundred years old and there is no way for the dust to escape the human body except through the mind. But this was inside the train. Outside is another story. Outside there are no green fields, not much harvest to think about, no water, except dust. And in every hundred meter distance, one could see the military watching people, guarding the interests of the government. But alas, I passed by the place where there is electricity 24 hours a day. The structures and buildings are of different shapes, all new and white. I learned that that place is the new site of government offices. It is an hour from Yangoon, the capital, a part of the decentralization scheme of the government. But electricity dies every other hour in other towns and cities, many villages do not have electricity. And along the dusty roads and at every station, you can hear voices of life—women, men, children, selling food and other stuff for survival. You could see the deep agony of the populace by what you encounter in the streets. Hard life, poverty. But life has to go on...

I wonder where my sisters and brothers are—3,000 Methodist women, youth, men and children in Lower Myanmar. If 128,000 people are gone, will the 3,000 Lower Myanmar Methodist populace survive? Oh my God... It’s hard to understand... Will the women whom I loved, worked with, ever smile again? Will the youth I met fulfil their dreams? Will the clergy women who longed for professional development be there for their congregation? Will the children who are orphans whom I hugged and talked with be happy ever again?

What can the faith community offer in this devastated land with devastated souls? What can the faith community promise for the 6% Christians in a Buddhist country? Will the 6% be helped by good Christians all over the world? What can we do?

Please see attached letter of Dr. Anna May Say Pa of the Myanmar Institute of Theology, “Cry Tears for Burma”.

Sincerely,

Emma A. Cantor

Regional Missionary - Asia

GBGM Women’s Division

The United Methodist Church Headquarters

900 United Nations Avenue

Ermita, Manila, Philippines

 

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Subject: Cry Tears for Burma

Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:14 PM

From: “Anna May Say Pa”

 

Cry Tears for Burma

 

Once, this was Thabyekyaing village, a quiet coastal village in Labutta township, Ayeyawaddy Division.

Once, the laughter of children filled the air as they played football or toke-si-do in the fields and yards.

Once, men went out on fishing boats or worked in the fields. Women planted rice, fetched water and firewood and kitchen fires burnt brightly.

Once, on Sunday mornings, the church bell would ring and people would gather to sing, praise and worship god and listen to the pastor, Rev. Maung Bay’s or his son, Pastor Klo Htoo’s sermons.

Once, on Lenten days the monastery gong would sound and the Buddhists would go to hear the Sayadaw’s sermons while observing a fast.

Once, the village was shady with fruit trees, the gardens with vegetables and the fields green with rice plants or yellow during harvest time.

Now, there is an eerie silence over what once was Thabye Gyaung. The sound of laughter, song and raucous shouting is stilled. The trees, the fields, the houses, school, church, monastery, clinic are no more. Now, what remains is death and destruction, bloated bodies, shattered lives.

On the night of May 2, the cyclone Nargis with gale force winds, rain and sea water that rose to 17 feet and higher destroyed the village and all the life that had made up that village.

The pastor, Thra Maung Bay, MIT (Burma Divinity School Certificate) Class of 1969 died in that disaster. Once, in 1992 thra Maung Bay had faced flood waters, that time of a political nature in what is known as Bogalay Ayay-Akin (Bogalay Affair). Pro-democracy forces had infiltrated the delta region from across the border. Thra Maung Bay was interrogated, tortured and sent to prison. But once released, he went back to his village and people and ministered to them as best he could in spite of his broken health. His son, Saw Klo Htoo, following the steps of his father went to seminary, Karen Baptist Theological Seminary for his Bachelor of Theology and after graduation became a pastor. But on that fateful night, Pastor Saw Klo Htoo also died, never fulfilling his dream of studying at MIT. Mrs. Maung Bay, a KBTS graduate, survived as she was visiting relatives in Rangoon at that time. Now, she is alone, without family, home and village.

This family’s, this village’s, tragedy is replicated in the areas struck by Nargis Cyclone, Haingyi Island, Labutta, Bogalay, Daydaye, Pyapon, Mawlamyinegyun and Rangoon and nearby towns. The latest govt. figure of deaths (12 May ‘08) is 85,000 the final figure will be higher. Relief work is going on but at a slow rate. Relief goods are accepted but not personnel with expertise. Some camps are experiencing medical problems. Some peop0le still in isolated pockets are without food and water. In Bassein, there are over 2000 survivors in Ko Tha Byu Camp with more arriving every day.

In the Myanmar Baptist Convention, the hardest hits are Karen Baptist Convention, Pwo Karen Baptist Conference, and Myanmar Baptist Churches Union and Asho Chin Baptist Convention. KC reported over 39 villages totally destroyed in Bassein area alone and 13 pastors dead. The Self-Supporting Kayin Baptist Churches also report destruction of churches, seminary and houses.

MBC Headquarters suffered damages totaling about kyats 1500 lahks. It was to host the Myanmar Council of Churches Bienniel General Meetin May 20-24 but now had postponed to middle of June.

MCC’s main meeting hall is wrecked and some glass windows were blown off. Judson church’s roof was also damaged and worship services could not be carried out.

MIT’s buildings’ roofs were lifted off and the computer lab with 12 computers totally water logged. Our newly appointed chaplain, Dr. Khin Kyu Kyu has just moved in to the Guest Apartment and she agrees with Neil and Diana Sowards that the apartment should be named “Falling Waters,” though very different from Frank Lloyd Wright’s model house, “Falling Waters” in America. Trees fell on Alan Po’s, Ashee’s and U Tha Wah’s houses. The roofs are all gone. Alan and Nyunt moved to Maharsaung Dining Hall just in time.

The Rangoon streets are blocked with fallen trees and electric posts. Water and electricity is a problem. BARS classes have been suspended until further notice. Summer School closed for a few days but have re-started. Master of Ministry classes started today but some students from Bassein area are too busy with relief works to attend.

MICT had pushed back the opening date of 2008-2009 academic year to September because of lack of electricity, water, building repairs and rising costs of rice and other food commodities. MIT will hold a meeting on May 14 on how best to carry on with limited resources. Dr. Simon and Faculty are determined to begin classes as scheduled. The main costs will be diesel oil to run the generators for light and water and food costs. It’s a challenge as we face the ATESEA Accreditation team visit in August.

Say Pa and I had the roofing over one bedroom blown off and water in the bedroom so our computer also is water logged. 23 fell in our compound. Some mango and jackfruit trees planted by my mother but still bearing fruit. Workers were very scarce at this time for repair work and cutting trees and clearing the land. Our loss is minuscule compared to the loss of family, homes and villages suffered by so many people.

You will want to know how to respond to this disaster. We certainly need your prayers. The people also need aid to recover from destruction of this magnitude. Please send donations to MCC, MBC, KBC, PKBC who are directly doing ground level relief work. MCC is coordinating with various NGOs and ecumenical partners to provide immediate relief. Send financial help only to trusted individuals. There are many people profiting from this disaster. The merchants are raising their prices and even some relief goods do not reach the victims but are being sold off. So be careful in your response.

MIT needs help with buying 12 computers for BARS program, roofing and other building materials for staff houses, Mahasaound and Ann Judson Villa, diesel to run generators (for now only water is available for Mahasaung where there are 2 section, for male/female use), funds to buy food commodities for 180 hostel students.

Cry for bleeding, suffering Burma—she is so small, her people struggling so long for survival. It seems as if not only political forces but God herself/himself is determined to teach us some sensible lessons. Sermons nowadays sound like platitudes. Our land and our people are being put through the wringer, squeezed dry till there is no more life juice left. Cry with us, cry for us in solidarity in our despair.

Anna May Say Pa

13 May 2008

 

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Reply:

 

Subject: Re: “Cry Tears for Burmese People”

Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 15:07:57 +0800

From: Carmencita Karagdag

To: EMMA CANTOR

CC: Anna May Say Pa , secretariatpeaceforlife.org

Hi Emma,

Many thanks for this moving account of your recent experience in tragedy-stricken Burma. And also for the equally moving letter of Anna May Say Pa about the monumental disaster that has befallen her already ravaged country. I pray that you and Anna May continue to have the strength of body and spirit to pursue your much-needed ministry in Burma and elsewhere amidst so much despair and hopelessness.

Prayers and solidarity,

Menchie