In a series of airstrikes carried out between May 11 and 12, the Burmese army hit two churches in the village of Lungtak, in Chin state, located in western Myanmar.
According to the report of the Vatican agency Fides On May 15, in addition to the attacks on the Catholic and Baptist churches, five homes were reduced to rubble, plunging the town’s residents into terror.
Receive the main news from ACI Prensa by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channels today:
Local sources indicated that the affected Catholic church is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Kalay. The local priest, Father Titus En Za Khan, managed to escape along with the faithful and find refuge in the nearby forests.
“The violence continues to affect the civilian population, especially in the territory of Sagaing, part of which belongs to the Diocese of Kalay,” indicated a local Catholic source.
These bombings occur against a backdrop of ongoing conflict, where resistance forces, including ethnic groups such as the Chin National Army and the Zomi Revolutionary Army, have joined forces against the military junta that took power in 2021.
In response, the Burmese military has intensified its operations, resulting in indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Chin State, where the majority of the population is Christian.
The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), an NGO with special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, has warned of a serious humanitarian crisis in the region, while the international community calls for an immediate end to violence and dialogue inclusive to resolve the conflict.
Meanwhile, residents affected by these attacks continue to face a reality marked by fear and uncertainty, hoping that peace can soon return to their lives.
In recent weeks, insurgents from the Chin, Magwe and Rakhine regions have taken control of the city of Kyindwe, located on the border with India and Bangladesh.
This city, a strategic enclave vital for territorial domination, has fallen into the hands of the resistance, marking a significant change in the balance of power in the region, Fides notes.
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I have worked as a digital journalist. I started my career at the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio. In 2016, I started as an editor at ACI Prensa and I have worked as a web editor since 2018. Starting in 2024, I write the newsletter for social media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.