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History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

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<strong>Shan</strong> Bible, Hymnbook, Radio, Literature 165<br />

ShweLi Valley <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Mission attended that celebration. The celebration <strong>in</strong> NamKham was held<br />

concurrently with <strong>Burma</strong> Baptist Convention 111 th Annual General Meet<strong>in</strong>g together with Christmas<br />

Celebration from December 25-29. It was very confus<strong>in</strong>g to differentiate whether the people were<br />

celebrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Shan</strong> Bible Centenary or BBC annual general meet<strong>in</strong>g or Christmas festival.<br />

Special songs commemorat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Shan</strong> Bible Centenary was produced on cassette tape and sold as<br />

fund rais<strong>in</strong>g item. That was the first Christian music produced by ShweLi <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Mission <strong>in</strong> 92<br />

years history s<strong>in</strong>ce Baptist Missions was opened <strong>in</strong> ShweLi <strong>in</strong> 1893. The songs were mixed up with<br />

<strong>Shan</strong>, Kach<strong>in</strong> and Burmese languages. Even though it would be better <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shan</strong> to celebrate <strong>Shan</strong> Bible,<br />

one <strong>of</strong> the organizers expla<strong>in</strong>ed that there was no market <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shan</strong> <strong>Churches</strong> if they produce <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shan</strong><br />

language alone. They expected better market <strong>in</strong> Kach<strong>in</strong> and other <strong>Churches</strong> so that they had to produce<br />

<strong>in</strong> Burmese, Kach<strong>in</strong> and <strong>Shan</strong> language mixed up <strong>in</strong> one cassette.<br />

The celebration started with ten thousand people wear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Shan</strong> costume, march<strong>in</strong>g up from<br />

downtown NamKham to the hill <strong>of</strong> NongSanKone where ShweLi Baptist Mission first began,<br />

accompanied by <strong>Shan</strong> musical gong-mong and noke danc<strong>in</strong>g. In fact gong and mong were never<br />

allowed to be used <strong>in</strong> Christian gather<strong>in</strong>g because <strong>Shan</strong> pastors and leaders considered such musical<br />

<strong>in</strong>struments as Buddhist <strong>in</strong>strument. S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>Shan</strong> Bible Centenary was the biggest celebration <strong>in</strong> <strong>Shan</strong><br />

Christian history young people from ShweLi Valley Baptist Mission threatened to take legal action<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st pastors and leaders if the Church did not allow them to play gong and mong musical <strong>in</strong>strument<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g celebration. Below is a letter from youth department. (Translated from Burmese)<br />

From Youth Dept. to Chairman,<br />

NongSanKone <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Church, NamKham. 22 May 1983.<br />

Subject: To buy and use <strong>Shan</strong> Kong-mong<br />

On behalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>Shan</strong> Christian Youth may I submit this letter.<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the Law <strong>of</strong> Myanma Socialist Government, 2-1/2, all the nationality can enjoy<br />

freedom <strong>of</strong> worship accord<strong>in</strong>g to their faith and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> all their culture. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to our young<br />

people desire, we want to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> our <strong>Shan</strong> culture, unite our young people, abandon the<br />

misunderstand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> cultural and religious conflict, cultural, political and economical conflict. Ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />

that culture is only related to social and all people should keep their culture. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the Law,<br />

<strong>Shan</strong> gong-mong is a cultural th<strong>in</strong>g and will not be harmful to others. That is why we, youth group from<br />

the Church, will buy a set <strong>of</strong> gong-mong and use it.<br />

Signed/ Sai Ba T<strong>in</strong>, Youth Representative,<br />

Cc. Chairman, ShweLi Valley <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Mission,<br />

Chairman, Village Council, NongSanKone, NamKham.<br />

F<strong>in</strong>ally the <strong>Shan</strong> pastors and leaders gave <strong>in</strong> and allowed them to buy a set <strong>of</strong> <strong>Shan</strong> kong-mong<br />

and use it dur<strong>in</strong>g celebration.<br />

Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Churches</strong> donated money, rice, pigs, cows and chickens for the occasion. About<br />

Kyat 50,000 was raised before the event. However because <strong>of</strong> currency devaluation the money, which<br />

had been collected for years, had lost all value. By the decision <strong>of</strong> the committee, Rev. Sai Nyunt Tha<br />

was sent to BBC to borrow money Kyat 100,000 for the event. In the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, BBC refused to lend<br />

the money. After much strong debate, Sai Nyunt Tha declared, “If God’s will<strong>in</strong>g for us to celebrate He<br />

will provide. It doesn’t matter whether you lend us money or not we will go ahead and celebrate.” Then<br />

BBC backed down and lent the money to them on condition that ShweLi Valley <strong>Shan</strong> Baptist Mission<br />

would pay back the money at the end <strong>of</strong> January, immediately after the celebration. After the<br />

celebration, <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>g meals twice a day to more than ten thousand people for five days, donation<br />

received from <strong>Churches</strong> and <strong>in</strong>dividuals amounted to about Kyat 300,000. The debt to BBC Kyat<br />

100,000 was paid back immediately. There was even surplus after celebration. However regrettable<br />

th<strong>in</strong>g happened. The surplus money Kyat 50,000 was kept <strong>in</strong> the locker at secretary’s house before<br />

putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the bank. The lock was seen broken down and half <strong>of</strong> the money was miss<strong>in</strong>g. There was

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