Myanmar's Military, the Tatmadaw, has reportedly burned down another church on Saturday.
International Christian Concern said the Burmese Army continued to attack places of worship despite calls by various church leaders not to do so. The Tatmadaw is currently aiming to destroy Thantlang, a town that is dominated by Christians.
"A Catholic #church in #Myanmar's Chin state was burned down by the #Tatmadaw," the International Christian Concern announced in Twitter on Tuesday, November 30.
The Tatmadaw attacked the St. Nicholas Church in Thantlang on Saturday after previously attacking four churches and 300 houses that they have burned to the ground. The day before that, November 26, the Tatmadaw have already burnt many houses in the town ensuring the fire is retained for three days while their soldiers burn elsewhere.
The Tatmadaw has also burned days prior to day the Thantlang Centenary Baptist Church and 48 other buildings in the town. Besides buring buildings down, the Tatmadaw also used heavy artillery and airstrikes will attacking civilians.
"(The) predominantly Christian Chin state has been at the forefront of resistance to the junta and has witnessed fierce attacks by the military including airstrikes, heavy artillery, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Hundreds have been arbitrarily detained and dozens killed," the International Christian Concern said, citing a report from the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCANews).
The series of military attacks have forced more than 10,000 Thantlang residents to flee to neighboring towns and even to India for shelter and safety. This has made the town deserted though the Tatmadaw continue to attack deliberately "against empty houses and churches show the brutality and religious agenda of the junta."
According to UCANews, the Chin Human Rights Organization reported that a minimum of 22 churches and 350 homes have been burned or destroyed by the Tatmadaw for the months of August to November 2021. This has cased a least 10,000 residents to flee Thantlang especially in September where homes were targeted by the Tatmadaw with "indiscriminate shooting and shelling incidents."
Diocese of Pekhon Bishop Peter Hla similarly called on the Tatmadaw to stop attacking churches after the Sacred Heart Cathedral have been hit thrice already in just within five months. Hla said in a letter that the attacks affect the faithful directly.
"Attacking the cathedral is like attacking the hearts of each of the faithful and all the faithful feel sad due to attacks," Hla said.
Besides the cathedral in Pekhon Diocese, the Tatmadaw have also attacked a minimum of five churches in the Loikaw Diocese previously. This excludes an attack on four Catholics last May 23 that left eight others wounded. The said attack was done simultaneous with that of the Pekhon cathedral's.
In March, Christianity Daily reported that the Myanmar military clashed with civilians leaving 50 dead. This excludes killing more than a hundred in a day thereafter. The Myanmar military forcefully took over the government through a coup in February after being unsatisfied with the results of the elections. Christians were the ones gravely affected ever since the junta took place in Myanmar.
The United States Department of State have decried the junta's attacks on Christians and churches last month, highlighting that it is becoming a "grave concern."
"We condemn such brutal actions by the Burmese regime against people, their homes, and places of worship, which lays bare the regime's complete disregard for the lives and welfare of the people of Burma," the State Department said.
