YANGON (UCAN): There was no Christmas for Christians in Myanmar’s Chin and Kayah states as the country’s military continued targeting churches and civilians, ignoring calls by world and religious leaders to end the attacks.
A funeral was held for 35 victims of Christmas massacre in Mo So village of Hpruso township, Kayah state—all Catholics—on 29 December 2021 (see page 7). Local sources said it was led by catechists as a local priest was not allowed to officiate by the military.
The killings shocked the world and drew swift condemnation from Charles Cardinal Bo of Yangon, who called it a “heartbreaking and horrific atrocity.”
The cardinal said, “The fact that the bodies of those killed, burned and mutilated were found on Christmas Day makes this appalling tragedy even more poignant and sickening. As much of the world celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the people of Mo So village suffered the terrible shock and grief of an outrageous act of inhumanity,” he said.
On December 30, an Assembly of God church and another belonging to the Association of Baptist Churches in the deserted town of Thantlang were burnt down by soldiers, according to Chin Human Rights Organisation.
The conflict-ravaged town has seen five churches and more than 450 houses damaged by fire so far. Across Chin state, some 22 churches and 350 civilian homes were burned or destroyed by the military between August and November 2021, the organisation said.
Cardinal Bo, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar, urged the military “to stop bombing and shelling innocent people, to stop destroying homes and churches, schools and clinics” and to begin “a dialogue with the democracy movement and ethnic armed groups.”
Ignoring repeated appeals by the world and religious leaders including Pope Francis, Myanmar’s military regime has continued attacking villages and ethnic areas where armed resistance has been the strongest.
