An airstrike by the Myanmar military on a Buddhist monastery in the central Sagaing Region killed at least 14 civilians and wounded 20 others as they gathered for a meditation retreat on 21 August.
According to reports by Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), the attack occurred at approximately 9.00am in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung Township, about 75 kilometres west of Mandalay. A spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organisation of Myaung Township (CDSOM), quoted by the Associated Press, confirmed that a Myanmar Air Force fighter jet dropped two bombs on the village monastery compound 15 minutes apart, striking a hall where more than 100 people had gathered for a weeklong retreat during Buddhist Lent. The attack killed 14 civilians, including three women, injured at least 20 others, and damaged nearby residential structures.
The recent attack is part of an ongoing series of targeted aerial bombardments by the military junta, impacting civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and healthcare facilities throughout Myanmar. It directly aligns with findings published in the latest annual report of the UN-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), which documented a systematic pattern of deliberate military airstrikes targeting religious buildings, displacement camps and civilian communities, warning of ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the horrendous military attack on the monastery in Swel Le Oh. Targeting civilians taking part in a peaceful religious retreat during Buddhist Lent is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and underscores the total disregard of the Myanmar military for human life and religious sacred space. True freedom of religion or belief means that no community, whether Buddhist, Christian, Muslim or local indigenous groups, should face death from the sky or arbitrary restrictions on their right to worship.’
In a separate development, there are growing concerns over freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in the autonomous Wa Region in eastern Shan State. According to reports by Burma News International (BNI), authorities under the United Wa State Army (UWSA) have issued directives ordering the temporary closure of Christian churches across Monghsat, Mongpauk, Narwee and Panghkam Districts. Approximately 40 churches in Panghkam Township have been closed following the influx of an unapproved religious sect from neighbouring China, with at least two individuals, including a local pastor, reportedly detained.
While local authorities cited security precautions against unregulated religious movements, the sweeping restrictions severely impact legitimate Christian congregations and mirror previous extensive crackdowns carried out by the UWSA between 2018 and 2019, when dozens of churches were closed, crosses destroyed, and faith leaders detained.
Mervyn Thomas added: ‘CSW stresses that all communities in Myanmar, regardless of ethnic background or religious affiliation, face an increasingly perilous environment where fundamental rights to assemble, worship and practice their faith without fear are systematically undermined by state and non-state actors alike. We call on the international community to take immediate, decisive action to stop the junta’s campaign of terror by restricting the supply of aviation fuel, expanding targeted financial sanctions against military enterprises, and strengthening support for international accountability mechanisms at the International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, and IIMM. Furthermore, international donors must increase direct cross-border humanitarian aid to displaced populations, while pressing all authorities across Myanmar, including non-state regional administrations like the UWSA, to respect universal human rights, immediately halt the arbitrary closure of places of worship, release detained religious leaders, and guarantee full freedom of religion or belief for every community.’