Yangon (AsiaNews) - We publish the testimony - anonymously, for reasons of safety - that has come to AsiaNews from a Burmese Catholic, on the difficult situation of religious freedom in the country.

Burma is a closed country. No tourist can see the government oppression on the surface. All is calm, all is peaceful. But inside each one of us are fear, hatred, anger, and the desire to be free. We have to be very careful in everything: in speaking, acting, singing, reciting, composing, presenting, building, etc., because in all of this there is the danger even of losing our lives. We are under the law and they (the military junta) are above the law. They use every ways and means for their benefit. They use every ways and means to make the people remain silent.

What about the Church in Myanmar? This question may be answered in different ways. The government may answer: it is free. Ignorant persons may answer, okay. Some who have no interest in religion may answer, it doesn’t matter. But the right answer must be that we are free to worship using our proper rites: celebrating Mass, praying the rosary and some ceremonies, but we don’t have religious freedom. Because religious people are not allowed to preach and speak about justice, about human rights, etc., according to the teaching of the Church, in regard to what is happening in the country.  We can see what is happening now in Myanmar. Myanmar is a country in which Buddhists are the majority of the population. The junta showed its good relationship with religion. Now the true colours appear. The truth is revealing itself. The junta used Buddhism as a political tool. When Buddhists themselves are not in line with the junta, they become the targets. Arresting, killing take place. Monks are restricted by all means. Some are killed, some are arrested, some run away, some are hiding. Monasteries are closed. Now some monks are stopped from giving sermons. And the list goes on. In these situations, how can we say that the other religious minorities have religious freedom? Catholics are only one percent of the population. One never sees  a Catholic in a high a political office. Many Catholics must hide their identity in order to have at least some decent job. But nobody can take away from us what we are, even though we are forced to be silent. We are restricted in many things, but we are free inside. We have freedom in our relationship with God. But outside we are like half statues. We have mouths but we cannot speak everything we want to speak. We have eyes but we have to pretend not to see, ears, but pretend not to hear so many things. Sometimes we don’t even have time to look at the world. When you open your eyes, even you seem to be hollow. You see so many who are asking help, although they don’t know they are asking for help. You hear, too. But you are not able to respond at all. So,  you feel sorry. You even shed tears.

Catholics share the same fate with everyone else under the government. But they have so much to do in Myanmar. Religious leaders try as much as possible to live the faith and keep it alive, but with difficulties. There are still so many places where churches or chapels must be built. A parish priest is entrusted with a large parish, and he can meet with his parishioners only three times a year, so many Catholics can receive holy communion only three times a year, although this may not be a problem in the cities. And Catholic education? Many children stop going to school after kindergarten due to poverty, and have to help their parents in their daily lives. So they are stripped of their future and the future of the Church - and so is the state. The Burmese Church is suffering, but in spite of this it finds the strength to grow, and there are many conversions and missionary vocations.

Myanmar has not had a constitution since 1988. Still today, there is no law protecting religious freedom.