Open Letter to the Ecumenical Community of Burma

HOME / BELIEFS / STATEMENTS

2 March 2021

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” - Amos 5:24

As sisters and brothers in Christ, we have watched with increasing alarm the violent crackdown by the military against peaceful protesters in Burma after the February 1 coup. We are particularly concerned by the fatal shooting of demonstrators, the illegal arrests of people in the middle of the night, and the disruption of information by blocking people's access to the internet.

Conversely, we are inspired by the courage of Burma's people throughout the country to continue to join massive demonstrations, to take part in the nightly "pots and pans" campaign, and to leave their shops and offices to participate in a general strike.

As people of faith, we believe that God sees and hears the injustice, the abuse of power, the denial of the dignity of life of God's people in Burma. While the military may believe they are all powerful and control the country today as they have for almost six decades, we believe, like the prophet Amos, that eventually "justice [will] roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." On that day, God and the people of Burma will rejoice and smile again.

In these dark times of uncertainty, however, we know that God is with you, and we know that we are with you as well as so many others throughout the world. We pray for your liberation, and we have begun to put our prayers into action by sending a letter to the consulate of your country in Hong Kong condemning the coup and the military's violent response against people peacefully expressing their views. Moreover, we stand ready to take further actions so that our prayers will bear fruit for your freedom.

In closing, we wish to state again that we are watching developments in your country; the world is watching, and God is watching. You are not alone in your quest for freedom, for justice, for dignity.

With Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

Rev. Phyllis Wong
Minister-in-charge

Hope Antone
Council Chairperson

Promote Life, Not Death, in the Philippines

HOME / BELIEFS / STATEMENTS

The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic nation, a predominantly Christian nation. The Christian faith calls its followers to respect life, to nurture life; the Christian faith holds life to be sacred. Other faiths in the Philippines, such as Islam and the spirituality of indigenous people, affirm the same values. Thus, why are there so many killings in the Philippines, especially extrajudicial killings by state forces? Does the government not respect the lives of its own people? Are the leaders of the Philippine government not Catholics, not Christians? Where is their faith?

In this climate of death over the years, we are thus saddened by the recent news of 15 community leaders and a lawyer killed on Negros Island in the span of just five days between July 23 and 28. They join the list of 14 peasants killed on Negros on March 30 this year as well as others. Moreover, we are saddened by the extrajudicial killing of a church leader, the Rev. Ernesto Estrella of the United Church of the Philippines (UCCP), on August 2 in North Cotabato Province on the island of Mindanao. Other recent victims include Alex Lacay and Jeffrey Bayot, Lumad farmers, on August 9 and August 11, respectively, in Bukidnon Province.

What do these victims have in common? Most of them were poor; most of them sought to serve their communities; most of them raised their voices to uphold their rights and the rights of others. Is it a crime in the Philippines to be poor, to serve one’s community, to seek the rights that every person has because they are a human being and a child of God?

These deaths also have another common denominator: no one is arrested. Thus, while it is apparently a crime in the Philippines to be poor, to serve one’s community and to seek to uphold one’s rights, it is apparently not a crime in the Philippines to kill another human being.

To indicate its willingness to stop these senseless killings, we as people of faith in Hong Kong call upon the Philippine government to invite members of the international community—specifically the relevant special rapporteurs of the U.N. human rights system—to visit the Philippines to investigate these killings. If the government has nothing to hide, it should be willing to support and cooperate with the international community to stop these killings of the Filipino people.

It is because we treasure the life of all people that we call upon the Philippine government to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, to proclaim to the world that justice is still alive in the Philippines, that life still has value in this predominantly Christian nation. The role of the Philippine government is to serve its people, to protect its people, not to kill its people.

As people of faith in Hong Kong, we express our love and compassion for the victims of this violence and their families, and we add our solidarity with others around the world for the church leaders and activists who are struggling for human rights, for justice and for the dignity of their people.

We Support the Renewed Peace Process in the Philippines

HOME / BELIEFS / STATEMENTS

Solidarity of Kowloon Union Church for the Filipino People. Calling for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."(Matthew 5:9)

We, members of Kowloon Union Church in Hong Kong, express our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Philippines who are now calling for a just and lasting peace in their country.

It is within this call that we express our support for the renewed peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Two rounds of talks between the two parties have already taken place this year with the aim of resuming the peace talks—one in June and another in August. In the August talks, both parties have reaffirmed previously signed agreements, such as the Hague Joint Declaration, the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), among others.

Both have also agreed to complete remaining substantive agenda for the talks, namely, (a) socio-economic reforms; (b) political and constitutional reforms; and (c) end of hostilities and disposition of forces.

We are very happy that they are both working together in addressing and finding solutions to the root causes of the ongoing conflict in the Philippines. For many years until the present, we have learned of extrajudicial killings and the massive displacement of people, especially the poor and marginalized sectors, not to mention the worsening of poverty and the lack of social justice in the country.

Should this peace process become successful, it will be the people of the Philippines who will greatly benefit. Human rights at all levels will be respected and protected; people’s interests over the interests of the few will be upheld; and justice, sovereignty and prosperity for the people and nation will be strived for.

May both parties steadfastly pursue this peace negotiation, hold true to their word and not veer from the path towards a just and lasting peace in the Philippines. The Kowloon Union Church supports this call for peace in the Philippines as part of our Christian commitment to transform our prayers into acts of compassion and acts for justice for all.

Rev. Phyllis Wong
Minister-in-Charge

Dialogue Must Replace Violence

HOME / BELIEFS / STATEMENTS

Kowloon Union Church (KUC), an international and ecumenical church with members from 20 countries, expresses its admiration for the courage, persistence and creativity of the university and high school students and others in the community who have been taking part in the continuous and ongoing demonstrations for the democratic development of Hong Kong. Whether the protesters are Christians or not, they have exhibited the Christian value of giving oneself for the sake of others. In this case, it is not only for the sake of other individuals but for the common good of Hong Kong.

We are similarly moved by those in the community who have selflessly given food, water, first aid, etc., to support the demonstrators in numerous ways. Again, whether they are Christians or not, they have offered their care and compassion for others, especially others who are under great stress and who are feeling fear, are anxious and vulnerable. It is these acts of solidarity that bind us together as one community.

We have witnessed the peaceful approach of the protestors who wish to express their desire for genuine universal suffrage and their dissatisfaction with the recent proposal of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for political reform in our city, on one hand, and the violent reaction of the police, on the other, who have responded with tear gas and pepper spray to people’s discontent. Many people have asked the simple question: Why? Why are the police—Hong Kong people—attacking Hong Kong people?

As a community of faith, we call upon the Hong Kong government to stop using violence to suppress the people who are protesting peacefully to express their views on Hong Kong’s democratic development. It is the responsibility of the government to protect her people, uphold human rights and respect people’s human dignity.

We, as citizens of Hong Kong, support universal suffrage based on one person, one vote, but the participation of voters in choosing their leaders is a hollow electoral exercise if competition to choose and nominate candidates is limited and restricted. A leader chosen under the proposed political system may be welcome by the Chinese government, but it will result in a weak Hong Kong government that lacks legitimacy in the eyes of Hong Kong’s people and will be able to achieve little to better the lives of the citizens of the community.

To resolve the current impasse over political reform, the Chinese and Hong Kong governments will have to genuinely listen to the people of Hong Kong and engage in meaningful dialogue with them. Achieving this aim will require courage, persistence and creativity—qualities that are now being lived out on the streets of Hong Kong.

We pray that the spirit of love and peace will guide the people and the government in Hong Kong. May God bless Hong Kong with wisdom and with peace.

(Contact Person: Mr. Bruce Van Voorhis - 9492-3064, Rev. Phyllis Wong - 9369-3565)