Myanmar/Burma: Military burn down historic Catholic Church compound

Source: Burma Research Institute

On the morning of May 13, 2026, at approximately 8am Burma local time, soldiers from the 102nd and 427th Infantry Battalions set fire to three convent buildings and a wooden warehouse in the compound of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Doungankha village, Demoso Township, Karenni State (Kayah), as reported by People's Spring on May 13.

The destroyed buildings belong to the Divine Providence Convent of the Doungankha Parish, Diocese of Loikaw - an historic Catholic community in the heart of Karenni State. The Burma Research Institute (BRI) contacted People's Spring for additional information and further confirmed the burning through its independent source on the ground.

This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic, ongoing, and egregious campaign of religious persecution - one that demands urgent international accountability," said Zo Tum Hmung, President & CEO of BRI.

BRI unequivocally condemns the Burmese military's deliberate and repeated destruction of Christian religious sites in Karenni State.

BRI urges the Trump administration to promptly act on the recommendations outlined in the March 2026 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, signed by BRI and other religious and community organisations, and formally determine that the Tatmadaw's atrocities against Christians in Burma constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Burma Research Institute (BRI), is a nonprofit organisation based in Ellicott City, Maryland, in the United States. It conducts research and advocacy primarily focused on freedom of religion or belief in Burma, and advocates for human rights and protection and assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons from Burma. BRI also empowers the local Chin community in Maryland and across the United States to successfully integrate into American society.

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Burma Research Institute: www.burmari.org