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The Declaration of Unilateral Cease



Subject: The Declaration of Unilateral Cease-fire :CNF

                        CHIN NATIONAL FRONT
                  General Headquarters, Chinland
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           The View of CNF on the Centenary Celebration and 
                  Declaration of Unilateral Cease-fire
           
With the arrival of  the first Christian  missionary, Christianity  was  
introduced in Chinland in March of 1889. Now we are looking forward to 
celebrating its centenary in March of 1999. For Chins who have believed 
deeply in Christianity, regardless of where they are, this centenary is 
a time of spiritual renovation. It is to be celebrated with honor and 
respect for those who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of the 
good news of the gospel. The celebration is expected to be held in 
Hakha, Chin State, Burma, where the first missionary couple, Rev. and 
Mrs. Authur E. Carson began their mission work.
             
The request for permission to celebrate the centenary, however, has been 
turned down by the Burmese military junta. Christian crosses placed on 
tops of the mountains in Chin State have been cut down. Other activities 
in preparation for the celebration have been banned and several Chin 
Christian pastors have been taken into custody by the Burmese military 
junta. Such oppressive acts of the Burmese military junta toward the 
Chin people are a complete violation of the right to religion. The Chin 
National Front (CNF) is therefore strongly opposed to and condemns such 
oppressive conduct of the Burmese military junta.
              
It is most unfortunate that the Burmese military junta has viewed this 
right to religion as the basis of some sort of political movement. There 
is a distinction between religion and State, which the Burmese military 
junta should be able to see. The CNF would therefore urge the Burmese 
military junta to honor the rights of its own citizens? religious 
freedom and to abandon such a wrong view and give permission for the 
centenary celebration. 
              
In a country like Burma, which is made up of different ethnic groups, 
religious rights and cultural rights are every citizen?s basic human 
rights and should never be interfered with. The CNF therefore requests 
that for the sake of honoring the right to religious freedom, the 
Burmese military junta not be obstructive to the plan for centenary 
celebration.


In order to be not used as an excuse by the Burmese military junta in 
the name of security for denying visas to invitees from other ountries 
and for not granting permission for the celebration, the CNF has 
declared Unilateral Cease-fire effective 15th of February  1999 to 15th 
of April 1999.

February 9, 1999
                       
Central Committee
                                          Chin National Front


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