Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Burmese parish attacked amid ethnic conflict

Burmese parish attacked amid ethnic conflict

Last updated on: March 6, 2015 at 11:31 pm by CNA Daily News

Burmese parish attacked amid ethnic conflict 2015-03-06T23:31:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lashio, Burma, Mar 6, 2015 / 04:31 pm (UCA News).- A parish in the Shan state of Burma, also known as Myanmar, became embroiled in the region’s spiraling conflict last week when small artillery shells landed in the church compound.

Kutkai Township, located between the cities of Lashio and Muse on the main overland trade route between Burma and China’s Yunnan province, has seen an influx of internally displaced persons so far this year as clashes between Burmese government forces and a number of ethnic armed groups operating in the region have intensified.

It is rare for the conflict to directly impact the local Catholic Church, but Kutkai’s parish faced suspicion by the military following an incident on the night of Feb. 24.

Father John Sau Luk, the parish priest, told UCA News that a bomb attack followed by a brief skirmish took place close to the front of the church’s compound that night.

“Three shells were fired at the church. Two exploded and one did not, so the army came to deal with the unexploded shell on Wednesday” the priest said.

“When it happened I crawled under the bed. My assistant parish priest was sleeping in his room and some shrapnel hit the window and smashed it.”

In addition to the window in the priest's quarters, one of the windows on the facade of the church itself was also broken.

Fr. John Sau Luk said the shells were only about four inches long, but sent small pieces of metal flying in all directions.

It was not clear who was responsible for firing the shells. As well as the Burmese military and a local government-backed militia group, fighters of the Kachin Independence Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Shan State Army-North are all known to be active in the area.

The day after the shelling, the military entered the church compound, questioned a number of people and thoroughly searched the church and priests’ house. Five young men who live in the church compound and a 55-year-old gatekeeper were then taken to the local military base for further questioning.

“They blindfolded three of us and hit me with the butt of a rifle,” said one of those questioned, a 19-year-old who helps out with gardening in the church compound, who asked that his name be withheld.

All six men insisted they were not involved in the clashes the night before, he said, but they were interrogated, often violently, for five hours by the military before being handed over to the police and later released.

“They accused us of being rebels, and shouted at us: ‘Where are the guns? Where are the bombs?’” the young man said.

“One of the others couldn't speak much Burmese, so they beat him more,” he added.

The majority of Catholics in Kutkai belong to the Kachin ethnic minority.

Recent fighting in the area around Kutkai has led to 450 new internally displaced people taking refuge in the township since the start of 2015, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Hundreds of people are already living in temporary camps in the town — including one situated in the Catholic church compound — and elsewhere in northern Shan state, where fighting has spilled over from the four-year old conflict in Kachin state to the north.

Heavy clashes broke out last month in the Kokang self-administered region, about 60 miles east of Kutkai, involving an ethnic Chinese rebel group called the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

At least 30,000 people have fled over the border into China, where humanitarian access has been limited, and according to UNOCHA around 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Bamar migrant workers, escaped westward, many returning to their homes in central Burma.

Asia - Pacific

Previous Post

March 6, 2015

Indian bishop encourages celebration of color festival in joy, freedom

Next Post

March 7, 2015 What makes a good priest? Friendship with Jesus Christ

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Why were the plagues significant against Egyptian beliefs?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Each plague targeted an Egyptian god They were meant to test Pharaoh’s patience Pharaoh had offended the Hebrew people They were random acts of nature