Myanmar military court orders confiscation of central mosque in Shan state

CSW condemns an order by a Myanmar military-controlled court to seize the central mosque in Nawngcho, Shan State, as state property, calling it a grave violation of freedom of religion or belief.

On 18 September 2026, the Kyaukme District Court formally issued a judgment confiscating Nawngcho Central Mosque, following the conviction of two mosque trustees under Sections 50(j) and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law. The two administrators, U Hla Htwe and U Soe Thein, were sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The military regained control of Nawngcho in July 2025 after the town was briefly held by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and allied resistance forces during Operation 1027. The authorities then sealed the main mosque under the pretext of unapproved structural renovations. The regime subsequently accused the mosque management of supplying food and material support to opposition forces, including the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Local residents have rejected the accusations as a false pretext to justify seizing the building.

The seizure of the mosque is part of a broader campaign of property confiscations in Nawngcho, where the junta has sealed dozens of civilian homes, shops, and a four-storey Hindu Gurkha Dhammathala. Across the country, the regime routinely weaponizes judicial mechanisms and administrative decrees to target religious infrastructure and suppress minority communities.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “The court-ordered seizure of Nawngcho Central Mosque is a blatant weaponisation of the judicial system to target religious minorities in Myanmar. A house of worship belongs to its entire community, and confiscating it on the basis of accusations against individual trustees violates both procedural fairness and freedom of religion or belief, while inflicting collective punishment on a religious minority. The international community must hold the military regime accountable for its persistent violations of the rights of religious communities across the country.”