Myanmar’s military has been accused of violating international humanitarian law following separate attacks that destroyed two churches in the predominantly Christian regions of Chin and Kachin states earlier this month.
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based religious freedom advocacy organization, two military aircraft departing from an air base in Magway carried out airstrikes on the town of Mindat in southern Chin State at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 9.
The aircraft reportedly released four bombs across two locations in the town, with one striking the compound of a Presbyterian church and severely damaging the building. No deaths or injuries were reported in connection with the attack.
Three days after the Mindat airstrike, soldiers belonging to the military’s 33rd and 88th Light Infantry Divisions allegedly set fire to the Htingnan Kachin Baptist Church and surrounding residential buildings near Bhamo in Kachin State at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 12.
CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas condemned the destruction of both churches, describing the incidents as serious breaches of international humanitarian standards and religious freedom protections.
“The destruction of the Presbyterian church in Mindat and the Htingnan Kachin Baptist Church in Banmaw are clear violations of international humanitarian law and freedom of religion or belief,” CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said in a statement. “Targeting and destroying places of worship that serve as spiritual and community lifelines for vulnerable populations is a grave crime.”
Col. Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an armed resistance organization operating in Christian-majority Kachin State, confirmed to The Irrawaddy that military personnel had burned a church in Three Mile Village along the road leading to Momauk. The destroyed building belonged to a congregation affiliated with the Kachin Baptist Convention.
The reported arson occurred amid intensified military operations around Bhamo, where government forces have been attempting to reclaim territory from the KIA and allied resistance groups.
CSW warned that the destruction of the two churches reflects a broader pattern of attacks against religious institutions in Christian-majority ethnic areas, including Chin, Karenni and Kachin states. The organization linked the alleged persecution to Myanmar’s longstanding ethnic and religious divisions, arguing that the military’s ideology is influenced by nationalism associated with the predominantly Buddhist Bamar majority.
The advocacy group further alleged that military forces have targeted churches as a form of retaliation against armed resistance movements in Chin and Kachin communities, imposing collective punishment on Christian civilians.
Calling for stronger international action, Thomas said, “The international community must move beyond statements of concern and take concrete steps to cut off the junta’s access to aviation fuel and military hardware.”
