Myanmar junta destroys dozens of churches to suppress Christianity

Since conducting its coup of February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military junta has gone on to systematically destroy over 40 churches and other Christian-affiliated buildings in what local believers say is an effort to suppress Christianity in the Buddhist-majority country, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

As its military regime seeks violently to impose Buddhism across the country, Myanmar now ranks 12 on the US Open Doors Watch List of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

According to an ICC report, the Myanmar military has conducted artillery attacks and airstrikes against civilian areas in the Sagaing and Magwe regions, Kayah state, and in the predominantly Christian Chin state. Houses of worship have been particular targets, as civilians seek refuge from bombardment in them.

“In the majority-Christian Chin State, the military junta destroyed over 35 churches and 15 other Christian-affiliated buildings between February 2021 and January 2022,” ICC said in its report. “In Kayah State, also majority-Christian, around 12 churches were destroyed in the same period,” ICC added. Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has pleaded with the regime to stop bombing churches, to no avail.

A local believer told ICC, on condition of anonymity for security reasons: “They are attacking the churches intentionally to suppress the spirit of Christian people by attacking their sacred churches. I condemn their bad intentions.”

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