Myanmar military bombs church in Mindat and burns Baptist chapel near Bhamo
Myanmar’s armed forces bombed a Presbyterian church in Mindat and later set fire to a Baptist church outside Bhamo, actions described as violations of international humanitarian law.
In mid-October, Myanmar’s military carried out two separate attacks on places of worship in the country’s Christian-dominant regions. On Oct. 9, two jets launched from Magway bombed the Presbyterian church compound in Mindat, Chin State, dropping four bombs that wrecked the building but caused no reported injuries. On Oct. 12, soldiers from the 33rd and 88th Light Infantry Divisions burned the Htingnan Kachin Baptist Church and surrounding houses in the Three Mile neighbourhood of Bhamo, Kachin State.
The incidents were denounced as clear violations of international humanitarian law and freedom of belief. Resistance spokesperson Naw Bu of the Kachin Independence Army confirmed the burning and linked it to ongoing clashes around Bhamo University and Light Infantry Battalion 47. Advocacy groups said the attacks reflect a systematic strategy of targeting religious sites to punish Christian civilians and undermine resistance movements, urging the international community to cut off the junta’s access to aviation fuel and weapons.
Why it matters
The attacks show the junta’s use of religious sites as targets, worsening humanitarian crises and breaching international law.
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