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
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