A Christian activist from Myanmar has called for urgent prayer and international support for civilians in the country, saying faith communities continue to play a vital role amid years of conflict and displacement.
Eh Pho, who was born and raised along the Myanmar–Thailand border after generations of displacement in her family, said many Christians continue to live in insecurity, with some forced to study in jungles or caves and worship in unsafe conditions.
Speaking to Premier Christian News, she said repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure have left communities several states without schools, hospitals, and churches.
"People have been delivering [babies] during the war time, and then there are no medical facilities. And even for the church, where people are gathering together to find peace and pray for one another, they’re still being destroyed.”
“They burn everything, destroy everything—but they cannot destroy our souls," Eh Pho added.
She said Christian communities in her native Kayin State, formerly known as Karen State, have been sustained through worship and mutual support despite ongoing violence.
“We support each other by praying… it’s the only time we feel peace,” she said, describing churches as places of comfort for families forced to flee their homes.
"We hope that there will be peace one day in a Karen State where we don't have to run anymore, and then we can live in the way of our Karen culture. If you learn about the Karen culture, we are very peaceful people who just live by the jungle and very rely on nature and protecting one another, and we welcome everyone. So we're quite friendly and open culture for everyone."
Her comments come after Myanmar’s controversial new president, Min Aung Hlaing, was sworn in last week. In his inauguration address, the former military chief, who was the architect of a 2021 coup that led to a deadly civil war and international sanctions, said his government would strive to spur foreign investment and domestic business growth as part of “effective, long-term strategic plans” for resource-rich Myanmar.
“Myanmar is now well on its way toward democracy but the new government has a lot of challenges to overcome,” he told a parliament packed with lawmakers from an army-backed party and legislators hand-picked by the military.
“The new government will implement a roadmap based on democracy and federalism… our priorities are democracy and peace.”
His speech lasted less than 20 minutes and lacked specifics on his agenda, including what steps would be taken to end Myanmar’s international isolation or tackle the raging civil war. The military is accused of widespread atrocities against the civilian population, but denies wrongdoing.
On Friday, Myanmar reduced the sentence of imprisoned ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of an amnesty by the new president who ousted her government.
Suu Kyi, 80, was serving a 27-year sentence for a litany of offences her allies said were politically motivated to keep her at bay, ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violating a state secrets law.
The sentence has been cut by one-sixth, but it remains unclear whether the Nobel Peace Prize winner will be allowed to serve the rest of her sentence under house arrest, the lawyer said.
Eh Pho said many in the country do not recognise Aung Hlaing as the country’s leader, and warned that families remain separated and communities continue to be displaced under him.
She raised concerns in the UK Parliament this week, calling for increased humanitarian aid delivered across borders, sanctions on military-linked fuel supplies, and stronger financial pressure on Myanmar’s leadership.
Despite now living in Thailand, Eh Pho remains in contact with relatives still inside Myanmar, including her husband, highlighting the ongoing separation faced by many Christian families.
She urged Christians worldwide to pray for peace, protection, and an end to displacement.
“Please pray that people can live in peace, that they don’t have to run anymore, and that one day they can return home,” she said.
She will be running in the Manchester Marathon on Sunday, raising money for the Ephiany Trust to help refugees and internally displaced people in Myanmar.
You can listen to the full interview with Eh Pho here:
(Reuters contributed to this report)
