Christian strategies in response to repression

The example of the Chin people in Myanmar

Abstract

Despite the political reforms in Burma/Myanmar since 2010, there is still a growing threat to religious minorities. The paper focuses on different strategies of the Chin people, a religious and ethnic minority in Myanmar, to respond to the threat to their religious freedom. Interviews with key informants were conducted shortly after the 2015 general election. In response to repression, the Chin people developed various coping strategies, including relatively subtle resistance methods such as civil disobedience and non-cooperation as well as direct confrontation with local and higher authorities. Despite such suppression, the Chin people continue to preserve their faith, culture, and language under the guidance of religious institutions.