Pastor in Myanmar Faces Legal Battle with Radical Buddhist Monks

February 26, 2019 | Asia

February 26, 2019

AsiaBurmaMyanmarFeatured ArticlePress Release

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02/26/2019 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Every year, during the Christmas season, many Christians are compelled to share the Gospel and express their love with people from other faiths. Pastor Aung Tun Oo from Agape Baptist Church in Myanmar’s central Mandalay was no exception.

Last Christmas, he reached out to the orphanage at Dhammazedi Pahtodawgyi Monastery and presented gifts and donations to these children. During his visit, he asked the children to recite a prayer with him, which was considered by many to be insensitive to the setting. A video of his visit soon surfaced on Facebook and infuriated many Buddhists.

This prompted the leader of the Mandalay Council of Churches to apologize in front of the media. Pastor Aung Tun Oo also sent a letter of apology to Sangha organization (a monk organization) and Buddhist committee members. The monk in charge of the monastery’s orphanage accepted his gesture, yet radical Buddhist monks such as Sayadaw U Okkahta and Wirathu would not budge.

All of his apologies, both in person and in written form, were deemed futile to the Buddhist radicals. They filed a case against him on December 17, 2018, under Article 295 of the Myanmar Penal Code which criminalizes insulting another’s religion. To make matters worse, the court accepted the case.

Although Pastor Aung Tun Oo had just received heart surgery, he had to go to the court to deal with his case on January 28, 2019. He said, “I was looking for lawyers, but no one would accept my case, so I had to hire a lawyer from out of town. It was very kind of her to accept my case, but since she had to travel to every hearing, it cost more time and money.”

One of the senior pastors from the Mandalay Council of Churches told International Christian Concern (ICC), “He is in a really difficult position— many people want to help him, but these lawyers are also afraid of these Buddhist radical groups. No one knows what kinds of things they could do to the lawyer and his or her family. We all feel really sorry for him and we are trying our best, but our hope is not getting higher.”

In Myanmar, people commonly acknowledge that radical Buddhists are behind the killing of U Ko Ni in 2017, a prominent Muslim lawyer and adviser to Myanmar’s leader Aung San Su Kyi and her ruling party. As a result, many lawyers fear that if such high-profile individual could be fatally shot in broad daylight, defending Pastor Aung Tun Oo might make them easy targets.

The courts eventually granted Pastor Aung Tun Oo bail because he has a serious heart condition and had already made an appointment for an operation long before the trial. This decision, however, sent the radical monks into a rage.

On February 11, 2019, the monks filed another case against him along with his wife, the assistant pastor of his church, and many other church officials. The court will decide whether to accept this case or not at the end of this month. Pastor Aung Tun Oo believes that the court is not powerful enough to reject their case given the immense pressure from these Buddhists. His lawyer also said that she has never faced a case this intense.

Pastor Aung Tun Oo told ICC, “During our hearing, the Buddhists brought a group of lawyers and monks, whereas I had only one lawyer and my wife. Please pray for us.”

For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom
For interviews, please email press@persecution.org

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Pastor in Myanmar Faces Legal Battle with Radical Buddhist Monks

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