On November 27, 50 soldiers invaded and occupied the Christ the King Cathedral complex to use it as a base and shelter.
Photo: loikawdiocese.org
Newsroom (03/12/2023 20:20, Gaudium Press) Bishop Celso Ba Shwe of Loikaw, – the capital of Kayah state in eastern Myanmar – some priests, nuns, dozens of elderly and disabled people who had taken refuge in the cathedral because of the ongoing civil war were forced to leave after it was occupied by the Burmese army.
On the night of November 26, the military deliberately fired artillery shells into the community center several times, hitting the roof of the pastoral center’s chapel and leaving the ceiling destroyed by the artillery shells. The soldiers tried to enter the cathedral complex but left after complaints from church officials.
For security reasons and by mutual agreement, they decided to leave the Pastoral Center. In a statement, the bishop reported that “shortly before departure yesterday, November 27, 50 soldiers came and occupied the building to use it as a base and shelter.” The attack took place a day after the feast of Christ the King, which used to attract thousands of people every year.
Around 300,000 people live in Kayah state, Myanmar’s smallest state, which is predominantly mountainous, and has approximately 93,000 Catholics.
Due to the constant attacks by the army after the November 2021 coup d’état, people in the cities and countryside are fleeing their homes and going in different directions. “Some fled to the north of the state or other places in Shan state. Among the refugees were elderly and sick people, people with disabilities, women, and young people who had been staying until a few days ago at the pastoral center in Loikaw, where, for the past few months, around 80 people have been refugees, including 10 priests and 16 religious. This number is constantly increasing.”
All are now seeking alternative shelter, moving to other Catholic parishes or other settlements further away from the fighting, or even to open-air rural areas. But the refugee situation in the state is really serious.
“Following the intensification of armed clashes in November, more than 80% of the urban and rural population of Kayah State has been displaced, and the number of internally displaced people continues to rise. On November 11, around 800 inhabitants of the city went to the Cathedral of Christ the King, seeking refuge. In total, the number of internally displaced people, including those who were already there, has exceeded 1,300,” said Bishop Celso Ba Shwe.
The Catholic cathedral complex was one of the last places of refuge, now also abandoned and engulfed in war. In the diocese, 21 of the 41 parishes have been abandoned and there has also been an exodus of priests and religious, who have fled the cities to take refuge in the countryside or the mountains.
Last month alone, humanitarian agencies estimate that more than 200,000 people were displaced in the country, and around 80,000 are staying in camps run by the Church. Christians make up almost 6% of Myanmar’s population.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
