Dear Friends,
Firstly Partners wishes to express our sadness
over the loss of the KNU (Karen National Union) General Secretary,
Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan who was assassinated at his home on the 14th
February 2008.
We mourn the loss of a great, passionate and inspirational leader of the Karen people.
P’Doh
Mahn Sha not only inspired the Karen people but stood for a united
Burma and will be deeply missed by all. His vision, strength, and
understanding will be greatly missed throughout the Karen community and
Burma as a whole. Although he is no longer with us, his memory lives on
and he will not be forgotten as a man that stood firmly by his beliefs
and who’s life works was for a free and democratic Burma.
Our prayers go out to P’Doh Mahn Sha’s family, colleagues and to the
Karen people as they come to terms with the loss of their leader.
Secondly,
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has issued a call to prayer for
the Karen people from now until the Global Day of Prayer for Burma on
March 9th. Below is a message that Ben Rogers, CSW’s Advocate for South
Asia, has written.
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"We
would like to ask for your prayers for the Karen people of Burma
following the tragic assassination of the General Secretary of the
Karen National Union (KNU), Padoh Mahn Sha..
CSW knew Padoh
Mahn Sha personally very well. We have met with him many times. Only
last Monday, three days before his killing, a CSW team spent an entire
morning with him in his home. All of us in CSW, particularly those of
us who knew him well, are shocked. We join with the Karen people in
their mourning, and ask you to join with us in holding them in our
prayers.
Sunday 9 March is the Global Day of Prayer for Burma.
On Saturday 8 March, CSW will co-host a Day of Prayer event at the
Emmanuel Centre in Westminster, from 10am until 4pm. We hope you will
join us, both at the event and by including Burma in your prayers
during Sunday services on 9 March.
We would also ask you to
join with us in praying for the Karen people between now and 9 March.
Please use the following prayer requests in your devotions and in your
church over the next three weeks.
• Please pray first and
foremost for Mahn Sha’s family, especially his daughters Bwa Bwa and
Zoya, and his sons Slone and Say Say. Pray for strength for them as
they mourn.
• Please pray too for the other leaders of the KNU, for their protection, wisdom and strength at this terrible time.
•
Pray for Htoo Htoo Lay, who replaces Mahn Sha as General Secretary of
the KNU. Pray for strength, wisdom and protection for him as he takes
on the challenges involved. Pray that God would bless him with the
ability to unite and heal his people.
• Pray for the Karen
people, that they would unite behind their leaders and work together in
their struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights. Pray for unity
among all the peoples of Burma.
• Pray that out of this tragic
loss will come some good, for the Karen people and for all Burma. Pray
that Mahn Sha, who devoted his life to the cause of freedom, justice,
tolerance, human rights and peace, will not have died in vain.
Yours in solidarity,
Ben Rogers"
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Thank you for standing with us on behalf of our brothers and sisters of Burma.
Blessings,
Sarah Armitage
Partners Relief and Development