Myanmar military forces set fire to St. Patrick's Catholic Church

Myanmar military forces attacked and set fire to St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

Yesterday, March 17, which coincided with the national holiday or St. Patrick's Day, Myanmar's military forces attacked and burned down St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Kachin State. The attack followed a Myanmar airstrike on the city of Mandalay that killed at least 27 people, including children.

The civil war in Myanmar began in February 2021, following a military coup, and is still ongoing. After the start of this military coup, Christians in Myanmar were also severely persecuted, harassed, and subjected to military violence, and this violence and human rights violations among religious minorities increased sharply.

Christians have been targeted by the military since the 2021 coup, with one of the most horrific attacks occurring on January 14, 2023. Eleven Christians were killed in the attack, when a church was hit by an airstrike. The Myanmar military has not only carried out these attacks, but has also in several cases directly attacked Christian places of worship, including churches or house churches, killing Christians.

Systematic discrimination against Christians in Myanmar continues, exposing them to serious threats. The Myanmar military's attack on a Christian place of worship highlights the grave human rights violations in Myanmar, drawing international attention to the need to protect religious minorities.