According to a recent report released by The Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), military airstrikes in Myanmar have had a substantial impact on churches in Chin, Myanmar’s only overwhelmingly Christian state. Their research indicates that there’s a correlation between areas under martial law and those subjected to airstrikes.
Although there’s a case study suggesting that the Ramthlo Baptist Church was purposefully targeted, the CIR stated they couldn’t ascertain the motive with absolute certainty. This aligns with findings from other organizations, indicating that ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar, a majority Buddhist country, are being deliberately targeted by the military. For instance, a 2020 United Nations report highlighted human rights violations carried out by Myanmar’s military against various ethnic minorities, particularly escalating after the 2021 military coup which overthrew the Suu Kyi government.
The current ruling military has reportedly long been responsible for attacks against vulnerable groups. A significant incident reported by Global Conflict Tracker in 2017 showed the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, causing the displacement of over 700,000 Rohingya people, who are predominantly Muslim, following an attack in Rakhin state.
Project Director of the CIR’s Myanmar Witness project, Matt Lawrence, undoubtedly stated that “places of worship are protected by international law during conflict.” The targeted destruction of these religious buildings may constitute a violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and might be deemed as war crimes.
Data analysis from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) showed a shift in attack methods. While the major tactics in 2021 and 2022 were arson and artillery, 2023 saw an uptick in the use of airstrikes. This statistic could indicate that the State Administration Council (SAC) has lost ground control in Chin state, leading them to call upon airstrikes.
Martial law has also imposed new rules, including the requirement to give a week’s notice in order to attend a religious service, further curtailing religious freedom.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns, Ming Yu Hah, emphasized on the alarming inadequacy of the global response to this crisis. She argued, “There is no denying that the military is able to carry out its nationwide assault on human rights because of the shockingly inadequate global response.”
CIR’s Myanmar Witness insists on their commitment to observing the ongoing situation, with dedicated efforts towards highlighting the issues and holding the responsible parties accountable.