US Secretary says that the Burmese military is still oppressing minority religions

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today that the military council that seized power in Myanmar is still oppressing religious minorities.

He said that in opposition to the actions of the military, thousands of teachers in Myanmar are teaching people to respect each other and respect human rights standards.

The United States has always stood by those who bravely defy military oppression and spread knowledge. He said at the international religious freedom report release ceremony held today.

The Myanmar military's religious freedom violations are described in detail in the report. After the coup, Buddhist monks were arrested and killed. Christian churches were burned and destroyed; The Rohingyas are not allowed to travel freely and are oppressed.

He also said that in 2022, 2,240 Rohingya were arrested by the Myanmar army.

U.S. Ambassador for Religious Freedom Hussain also said at the event today that the Myanmar military continues to oppress the Rohingya, who are still fleeing their homes.

The United States will continue to pressurize those who violate human rights to be held accountable, and after the military coup, Myanmar has sanctioned 74 military-affiliated individuals and 29 organizations.

Myanmar : Sagaing Homes and farms were destroyed in Magwe and Chin, leaving over ten thousand homeless

Sagaing Cyclone Mokha in Magway and Chin states with wind speed of 60 to 70 miles per hour and continuous rain. Due to the strong winds, the floodwaters flooded and destroyed many acres of houses and plantations.

In those areas, the military council troops repeatedly burned down their homes and raided the area, so the local residents are now facing natural disasters in addition to war and fire disasters.

On the night of May 14, Sagaing Division, The right channel of the North Yama Dam in Ma Pin town broke, Lepantaw, Residents told RFA that nearly 10,000 residents of about 10 villages, including Gidokone and Kheweli Village, had to flee to safety.

Imapin Township, A woman from the village of Lepan Tow told RFA that she had to flee to higher ground after water entered her village, and more than a hundred homes were submerged.

"I heard that the dam broke. 5 p.m. At around 6 o'clock, they moved to the higher ground. A man with a cart fights with a cart. He doesn't have a cart, he carries it on a motorcycle. He carried his head. Before I finished carrying it like that, the water came quickly. Some have not yet been carried. bags of rice All the grain is gone. There are about 140 houses. Almost a hundred is enough to soak in water.”

This morning on May 15th, when I entered the village due to the flood again, some houses were destroyed and some houses were covered in mud.

In Khin Oo Township, where there are more than a million war refugees, it has been raining continuously, and almost 50 villages have lost green beans, March Sesame Local residents of Khin Oo said that more than ten thousand acres of agricultural crops such as pepper and gantam flower were destroyed.

"All the ya crops were destroyed. Not a single one was left. About two hundred acres of ya crops were destroyed. "

A resident of Khin Oo Township's Myit To village told RFA that around 200 acres of green bean plantations, which cost about 600,000 kyats per acre, have been destroyed to the point of nothing.

"All the ya crops were destroyed. Not a single one was left. About two hundred acres of ya crops were destroyed. All of them were waterlogged. It rained heavily during the night when the beans were about to be harvested and were still about to be harvested. The heavy rain flooded the fields. It is not easy to replant them. If the beans are flooded, they all die."

Sal Lingyi from Sagaing Even this In Kani townships, it has been raining incessantly, and more than a thousand homes have been flooded and damaged, local residents said.

In the same way, the storm also destroyed nearly 200 homes, including three Christian churches and schools, in Pha Nai Village, Mutupi Township, Chin State.

A local resident, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told RFA that no one was hurt because they were able to move to strong houses in time in Fanay village, home to more than a thousand people.

"Many houses, including the church, in Fanai village were destroyed. Only 10 houses were left undamaged. Out of two hundred houses, there was no damage to one house because all the people moved. The houses were left as they were."

A church in the city of Kanpatek. Locals said that schools and some houses were damaged and roofs of at least five houses in Hakha town were damaged and two houses collapsed.

Titin Township, Child: There are landslides on Titin Road, and the military council has cut the phone line to Min Tu City, so the damage status is not yet known.

Every time I bend, A villager told RFA that in addition to the damage to bridges in So Township, rice buried in pits was also damaged.

"When the column had to run, we had to put the rice in the hiding places. All the rice was running out. And if our village was burned down, then the wood to rebuild it. At the moment, those who built it have built it. Those who have not yet built it have not yet built it. All the wood that those who have not yet built it has been washed away. Even if it is finished, the rope bridge to the village. The eastern part of the cable bridge is gone."

Residents said that more than a hundred acres of rice that had been planted in Paun village two months ago had been destroyed, and other farmlands were also covered in sand.

A member of the village's social support team told RFA that in Sinphyu Gyun Township's Ushishon village, water entered the village due to continuous rain for two consecutive days due to the storm.

"Some children are floating. The fences around the houses are all damaged. Some are damaged a lot. Sand has been piled up around the houses. For some, there is no place for cattle or people to live. When the buildings are low, it becomes difficult to live and live."

In the village of Ushishon, which has five hundred houses and a population of nearly two thousand, the water has receded, but the locals are finding it difficult to eat and live.

Every time I bend, In Pau Township, on May 13th, due to the flooding of the Yeo River, the villages near the river planted beans, Residents said that more than a thousand acres of sesame were destroyed, and the tents of war refugees near the Yeo River were submerged in water.

The military council's social worker to find out how to help those affected by the storm. RFA reached out to Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Thant Khaing by telephone, but he did not receive a response.

The Chairman of the Military Council, General Min Aung Hlaing, said that to carry out rescue and rehabilitation processes. He added at the military council meeting held on May 14 that all Burmese citizens will not be left alone to help and rescue.

864 houses in the provinces and districts due to Cyclone Mokha 11 religious buildings 16 monasteries 64 schools hospital 14 clinics; seven communication towers; The military council announced on May 15 that 71 streetlight poles and 38 departmental buildings were destroyed and three people were killed.

Among them, a house in Sagaing, Two houses and a monastery in Chin State. It is reported that two houses and 78 plantations were destroyed in Magway.

The Global Disaster Warning and Cooperation System (GDACS) reported that two hundred and ten thousand people in Chin State were affected by the storm. Seventeen thousand people in Magway and 440,000 people in Sagaing Region were warned that they could be affected by the dangerous storm.