RANGOON, BURMA :-- Burma anticipated a nationwide boycott of upcoming Buddhist religious exams Thursday, March 20, amid reports that thousands of Buddhist monks have turned to Christianity.

Some "4,700 Buddhist monks accepted Christ as their [Lord and] Savior," ahead of Easter said Christian Aid Mission (CAM), a major mission group representing native missionaries in Burma, also known as Myanmar. CAM told BosNewsLife that many monks have turned away from Buddhism, "after more than a decade of political cruelty toward certain Burmese ethnic minorities," by the military government of this predominantly Buddhist nation.

CAM said about 3000 villages in eastern Burma have been destroyed and villagers, including Christians, were either killed or driven into remote mountainous areas. "Some were able to escape to neighboring countries, although they were not particularly welcomed there."

Frustrated Buddhist monks played a key role in anti government protests since August, when authorities doubled the price of fuel and food, already priced at what missionaries described as "exorbitant rates."

At least 31 people were killed when the country's military rulers broke up the demonstrations, although some dissidents and advocacy groups have said the death toll may be as high 200. "It was in the midst of this darkness that Buddhist monks and nuns began inviting Christian missionaries to come and share the Gospel in the privacy of their monasteries," CAM added. Despite "the dangers involved," missionaries went to several monasteries, and visited each one several times, the group explained.

THOUSANDS CONVERT

"In recent weeks, 4,700 Buddhist monks were led to Christ through our ministry," a missionary said in a statement speaking on condition of anonymity. "It appears that the Holy Spirit had urged these monks and nuns to call our evangelists to come and share the Gospel of hope and love. After several intense discussions, close to 80 percent of the monks present in each of the monasteries raised their hands to accept Christ, and then kneeled down to pray and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior."

CAM said

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