Myanmar: Catholic church hit by rockets, Baptist church destroyed

Sacred Heart Cathedral - Image Fides

Source: Fides

The Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral in the diocese of Pekhon in eastern Myanmar, was hit by rockets and heavy weapon bullets fired by soldiers of the Burmese army, last Wednesday, local clergy report.

Fr Julio Oo, from the diocese of Pekhon, told Fides: "it is an execrable act, to be condemned."

Local resistance militias are fighting the army eight miles from the city. Fr Oo said: "Hundreds of local people have been taking refuge in the Cathedral complex...Such acts of gratuitous violence against civilians and places of worship increase frustration and youth protest against the army. We are concerned: churches are becoming more and more targets of attacks for military forces."

According to local sources in the Christian community, the army is specifically targeting churches because "they are the core of the community, by destroying them, the soldiers want to destroy the hope of the people."

The population in the diocese of Pekhon is about 340,000 (many belonging to ethnic minorities such as Shan, Pa-Oh, Intha, Kayan, Kayah). About 55,000 are Catholic.

In other separate incidents last week, the military in Myanmar devastated and burned houses and a Baptist church in the village of Ral Ti in the municipality of Falam in the Burmese state of Chin.

Clearing the rubble, a village Baptist pastor and community members miraculously found the Bibles and hymn books intact.

The army also burned 134 homes in the city of Thang Tlang, also in Chin state, setting fire to two other Christian churches, one Presbyterian and one Baptist, in retaliation against local rebels.

A local Christian told Fides: "With such violence, destroying and burning houses and churches, the army will not win, but it will create even greater hostility and rebellion among the civilian population and young people."