The Burmese who live in India are a mixture of Indian descendants of Burmese people, Burmese refugees and immigrants. Most of the refugees are from the Chin people who are a minority group in Burma or Myanmar as it is also called. Some are from other groups such as the Rakhine. Estimates are that over 100,000 Burman or Burmese refugees are now living in India.

Many Burmese came to India because of the troubles in Burma. India is the nation to the northeast of Burma. Chin refugees have been in India for about forty years. More refugees are arriving every month as the turmoil in Burma continues.

The Burmese refugees live mainly in the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur. Many also come to the Indian capital city of New Delhi to connect with other refugees.

There is no legal protection for Burmese refugees in India. As a result they are often victims of discrimination and deportation. With no legal status, they have difficulty finding work and adjusting to Indian society. The Chin are easily targeted for discrimination as foreigners. The inability of many Chin refugees to communicate in either English or Hindi also subjects them to prejudice and daily hardship. Women refugees in particular are vulnerable to assault and harassment in Delhi. They are fearful to report assaults that could lead to being deported.

The Burman work as day laborers and in any other jobs they can obtain. Families are often broken up. Children frequently do not attend school for fear of possible deportation. Simply put, many Burmese experience great hardship in their Indian homes.

The Burman who live in India have different religions. Many of the Chin became Christians in Burma before arriving in India. As Christians in India they are subject to discrimination by the Hindu majority. The Rakhine refugees are Muslims. Other Burman groups include Buddhists and Hindus.

The Burman living in India need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christi in a way they can understand. They need help in learning the languages of India. They need help in finding meaningful work. Their children need a basic education to fit in modern India. The Burmese refugees need to gain legal status in India.

* Pray the Lord leads the Burman in India to Christian agencies and Indian Christian friends who can help meet their spiritual and physical needs.
* Pray that the Chin Christians are trained and that they would reach out and share the gospel with others.
* Pray the Lord would use the hardships experienced by the Burman to force them to depend on Him and that the God of the Bible would be honored in their community.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_community_in_India