Soldiers from Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist military junta have reportedly set fire to St. Patrick's Cathedral, a historic landmark in Kachin state to ashes.
The cathedral was burned during ongoing military operations in the area just days before the church's annual celebration of Saint Patrick's Day last Sunday, according to the United Kingdom-based watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
The fire in the Banmaw area broke out around 4 p.m. on Sunday, as reported by the Vatican news agency Fides. This incident follows previous destruction on the church grounds, including the demolition of the priest's residence, diocesan offices, and a high school on February 26.
The junta, officially known as the State Administration Council, has intensified its offensives in regions with large Christian populations. Recent months have seen several other churches and religious sites fall victim to the junta's military operations.
On February 6, airstrikes destroyed Sacred Heart Church in Mindat, Chin State, and on March 3, another airstrike demolished the pastoral center of St. Michael's Catholic Church in the Banmaw Diocese, Kachin.
The Banmaw Diocese, established in 2006 and led by Bishop Raymond Sumlut Gam, is located in a mountainous region with a diverse population of over 407,000 people, including more than 27,000 baptized Catholics. The area has faced increasing instability since the military coup in February 2021.
The junta has intensified airstrikes on civilian areas and camps for internally displaced persons in states such as Karen and Karenni, where many Christian communities reside. Attacks on churches, as well as Buddhist monasteries and other places of worship, are part of a broader pattern of retaliation against communities accused of supporting ethnic resistance movements.
Long-standing persecution has forced many to flee Myanmar for refuge in neighboring countries like India and Thailand, while some have resettled in the U.S. and Australia. However, many still live in refugee camps near the Myanmar border, facing decades of uncertainty.
Although a majority of Burma's population is ethnic Burman and Buddhist, about 20%-30% of the ethnic Karen population is Christian, particularly in Chin and Kachin States.
