Military sets fire to cathedral in Kachin State amid escalating attacks on Christians

Soldiers from the State Administration Council (SAC), which falls under the authority of Myanmar/Burma’s military junta, reportedly set fire to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Banmaw, Kachin State, on the evening of 16 March.

The cathedral, a significant historic and spiritual landmark for Kachin’s Christian community, was targeted during military operations conducted by the junta shortly before the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of the church. A source told DVB English News that the church was ‘reduced to ashes’.

The destruction of the cathedral took place weeks after the junta demolished the priest’s residence, diocesan offices, and a high school located on its grounds on 26 February, and is part of a larger and increasing trend of violence directed at religious groups, particularly Christians, in Myanmar.

On 6 February junta airstrikes destroyed the Sacred Heart Church in Mindat, Chin State. On 3 March a junta bombing raid resulted in the destruction of the pastoral centre at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in the Banmaw Diocese, Kachin State. On 16 March, a junta airstrike targeted a monastery in Nawnghkio, Shan State, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people who were seeking refuge there, including six Buddhist monks.

These attacks are among the latest in an escalation of violence which has been ongoing since 2023, in which the military has intensified airstrikes on civilian areas and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Karenni States, all of which are regions with notable Christian communities. This escalation follows the launch of Operation 1027 against the military by ethnic resistance groups. The punitive measures of increasing junta’s assaults on religious sites, and civilian shelters reveal a distinct approach aimed at penalising entire communities due to their ethnic and religious identities for supposed backing of ethnic resistance groups to crush dissent by focusing on entire communities, in violation of the international humanitarian prohibition of collective punishment.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘Religious institutions serve as more than just a space for worship; they often function as vital sanctuaries for displaced civilians seeking refuge amid ongoing violence. The loss of these spaces takes away crucial cultural and spiritual foundations for communities, particularly their right to freely manifest their religion or belief, while also stripping them of necessary shelter and humanitarian assistance. The Myanmar junta’s deliberate targeting of Christian communities and other religious groups represents an egregious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. The international community must not stay silent in the face of this systematic campaign of collective punishment of religious minorities, and must make immediate efforts to disrupt the cycle of impunity and guarantee justice for those impacted.’