The That Dha Ma Myit Zu Nunnery, Yangon, Myanmar

The That Dha Ma Myit Zu nunnery, located east of the old city in Thanlyin, Yangon, is where I met 196 novice nuns from the Karen State.  Two nuns, Daw Aye Thein Gi and Daw Kin Sana Thein Gyi who care for the girls said, "Parents send their daughters to this monastery to save them from slavery and/or forced underage marriages."  What makes the Karen different is they practice Christianity, whereas in Myanmar the majority of people practice Buddhism.   According to World Without Genocide, "many Karen people accuse the government of “ethnic cleansing” due to major counter-insurgency campaigns that have led to widespread mass atrocities against the Karen people. Such atrocities include summary execution, severe torture and rape, as well as forced labor, extortion and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that over 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of conflict."

To learn more about the conflict click here : http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/burma