Government soldiers attacked and burned a Catholic church in a village in eastern Myanmar Wednesday.
St. Matthew Catholic Church in Dawnyaykhu in Phruso Township in Karenni State was destroyed by the fire. According to video footage posted by the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), a local rebel group fighting the military junta that took over the country’s government on 1 February 2021.
“On June 14th, the military burned down more than four houses in Dawnyaykhu village. On June 15th, the military burned down the Catholic Church in the village for no apparent reason at around 3 pm,” a KNDF official said.
The village saw heavy fighting June 10-15 between government troops and KNDF rebels.
The video shows the government soldiers approaching the white church building as smoke and flames pour out of the windows. Gunfire can be heard in the background. The footage shows isolated fires burning in different locations inside the building.
St. Matthew’s is one of 38 parishes in the Diocese of Loikaw in eastern Myanmar. Some 16 parishes in the diocese have been abandoned by priests, nuns, and, parishioners because of intensified fighting in the area, UCA News reported. At least nine churches in the diocese have been hit by government military shelling and airstrikes, according to the report.