Pastor jailed for violating COVID 19 restrictions in Myanmar

Myanmar banned mass gatherings since March, but the two pastors organized religious gatherings in Yangon’s Insein and Mayangone townships in late March and early April. 

The preacher David Lah is a Myanmar born Canadian citizen. 

Later the preacher David Lah and dozens of people who participated in the service organised by him tested Corona positive. 

A case was registered against him and others under the Natural Disaster Management Law of Myanmar which carries a punishment up to 3 years for violating its provisions. Police arrested the pastor on May 20 after he  finished his post-recovery quarantine period. 

Myanmar has so far not seen a major outbreak of Coronavirus in the country with just 357 infections and six deaths so far. 

According to the population data published by UNFPA in 2016 Christians are the second largest religious community in Myanmar. They constitute about 6.3 percent of the Buddhist dominated population of Myanmar.

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