Catholic centre bombed by Myanmar military

No one suffered injuries in the attack on the centre in the grounds of the Catholic Church of St Michael in Nan Hlaing, in a rural area of the diocese of Banmaw.

“The bombing caused damage to the building, but no injuries. We thank God that we are safe, although people here are fighting for survival, there are no schools, clinics or shops,” said Jesuit Father Wilbert Mireh.

“We usually celebrate Mass under the trees because it is too dangerous to be in the church, and the building has already been hit and damaged,” Fr Mireh said.

“But I must say that despite the suffering and the precarious conditions, the faith and spirit are strong.”

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has for years been wracked by violent conflict following a military coup at the beginning of 2021 in which the military junta overthrew the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who had promised a new democratic era for the nation.

The coup triggered widespread resistance, mass protests and an escalation of armed conflicts across the country, thrusting Myanmar into its current humanitarian and human rights crisis. 

In Kachin State in northern Myanmar, where the latest church bombing happened, a bitter struggle is taking place between the regular army and the army of the Kachin ethnic minority, which is fighting for the state’s self-determination. The Myanmar army has been forced to withdraw from large parts of the area and is now bombarding it with artillery and aircraft.

According to local sources, the ongoing fighting for control of Banmaw has resulted in most of the city’s residents fleeing, leaving only about 20,000 people living in the city.

Nine of Banmaw Diocese’s 13 parishes have been affected in the last two years, further increasing the number of refugees.

Last month, a newly-designated Catholic cathedral, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Mindat, was severely damaged by airstrikes by the Myanmar military regime. Mindat is in Chin, Myanmar’s only Christian-majority state.

No injuries were reported, and the area had recently been evacuated.

Soon after the destruction of the Mindat church, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon urged Catholics to pray for those who were displaced by the violence of the conflict in Myanmar. 

FULL STORY

ASIA/MYANMAR – In Kachin State: Catholic pastoral center bombed – Agenzia Fides (Fides)

Myanmar cathedral bombed days after its establishment: ‘We will rebuild’ | Catholic News Agency (Catholic News Agency)