Nine churches and hundreds of civilian properties have been damaged in Christian-majority Chin state
A damaged church in which four people were killed by army shelling in Loikaw in Myanmar’s Kayah state on May 24, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Kantarawaddy Times)
The Johnson Memorial Baptist Church and 10 civilian houses were destroyed in a junta attack in the deserted town of Thantalang in western Myanmar’s Christian-majority Chin state, according to media reports.
Chin Human Rights Organization said it was the 29th arson attack in the town and nine church buildings have been destroyed so far.
At least 300 houses have been destroyed in the town and more than 10,000 residents have fled as a result of indiscriminate shooting and shelling by the military since September 2021.
St. Nicholas Catholic Church was completely burned down by the junta on Nov. 27, 2021.
Chin state has been at the forefront of resistance to military rule and has witnessed fierce attacks including airstrikes, heavy artillery and indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Hundreds have been arbitrarily detained and dozens killed.
The latest arson attack came within days of a raid and burning down of 320 houses in a historic Catholic village in the Buddhist Bamar heartland of Sagaing.
Myanmar is facing a political, military and humanitarian crisis after the military seized power by toppling elected civilian leaders in February 2021
The junta’s offensive in the Sagaing region continues with artillery shelling, airstrikes and the burning of houses in several villages. Mobile phones and internet lines were cut off last week, according to media reports.
The crisis in Myanmar continues to drag on despite the diplomatic efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) backed by the UN and the US.
The junta has ignored repeated calls by regional and international groups and countries to end the violence.
The reign of terror is targeted at ethnic areas with a majority of Christians or Bamar Buddhists.
The United Nations Security Council had a private meeting on the Myanmar crisis on May 27 but failed to agree on the contents of the statement intended to push the junta to end violence in the Southeast Asian nation.
The original text reportedly proposed that the Security Council express deep concern over the “limited progress” in implementing a five-point plan on ending the crisis that was set out more than a year ago by ASEAN. It also called for action to implement a road map, according to an AFP report.
The report cited the Chinese delegation proposing the use of the term “slow” rather than “limited” to describe the progress, leading to a difference of opinion.
Myanmar is facing a political, military and humanitarian crisis after the military seized power by toppling elected civilian leaders in February 2021.
More than 1,800 people have lost their lives in the brutal crackdown by the military and over 13,000 have been detained.
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