Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Yangon, has expressed his anguish following the attack on civilians taking refuge in a Myanmar Church.
In his May 25 statement, Cardinal Bo said, “It is with immense sorrow and pain, we record our anguish at the attack on innocent civilians, who sought refuge in Sacred Heart Church, Kayanthayar, Loikaw on 23rd May 2021 night. The violent acts, including continuous shelling, using heavy weaponry on a frightened group of largely women and children, resulted in the tragic death of four people and wounding more than eight.”
The Burmese army soldiers attacked the village of Kayan Tharyar, 7 km from Loikaw, capital of Kayah State, with artillery shells on the night of May 23, with the aim of hitting suspected rebel groups.
One of the mortar shells hit the church, killing at least two women and wounding many other displaced people who had sought refuge there. This is what the Jesuits in Myanmar report to Agenzia Fides. The villagers of Kayan Tharyar, in fact, believed that the parish church would be a “place where they could safely take refuge for those fleeing accidents and shootings in the area, but tragically this was not the case”, write the Jesuits.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Pekhon (about fifteen kilometers from Loikaw) was also damaged by artillery shells. The Jesuits condemn these “heinous crimes in the strongest possible way” and demand that “the Burmese military be held accountable for what happened. “The military – the religious write – must immediately stop the attacks against civilians and churches”. The bombs have destroyed the buildings, reducing them to rubble, with images that recall a clear scene of war.
Following is the Cardinal’s full statement:
It is with immense sorrow and pain, we record our anguish at the attack on innocent civilians, who sought refuge in Sacred Heart Church, Kayanthayar, Loikaw on 23rd May 2021 night. The violent acts, including continuous shelling, using heavy weaponry on a frightened group of largely women and children, resulted in the tragic death of four people and wounding more than eight. The church suffered extensive damage, bearing witness to the intensity of attack on a place of worship. The midnight attack made the hapless people flee to the jungle. Their fate is still not known to the outside world. Food, medicine, and hygiene are urgent needs but there is no way of reaching them. There are many children and old people among them, forced to starve and without any medical aid. This is a great humanitarian tragedy.
We bring to the notice of all, that the places of worship as a cultural property of a community, are covered by International Protocols. Churches, hospitals, and schools are protected during conflict through the Hague Conventions. Apart from all Protocols, let us remember the blood that is spilled is not some enemy’s blood; those who died and those who were wounded are the citizens of this country. They were not armed; they were inside the church to protect their families. Every heart in this country weeps for the death of innocent people. Now, hundreds die; thousands become refugees and displaced. More than 20,000 have been displaced in the recent conflict in Loikaw.
This needs to stop. We plead with you all, related organizations, kindly do not escalate the war. Our people are poor, Covid-19 robbed them of their livelihood, starvation stalks millions, the threat of another round of Covid-19 is real. Conflict is a cruel anomaly at this moment. Peace is possible; peace is the only way.
We make this urgent appeal as a group of faith leaders – not as politicians. We are praying for Peace in this great land and hoping all of us can live as brothers and sisters in this great nation.
With our prayers,
+ Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, SDB
Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Yangon
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar (CBCM)
