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Myanmar: Christian seminary attacked by army, injuring four men in the dormitory

November 5, 2022

Christians make up about 8.2 percent of the population of Myanmar. The overwhelming majority of these are Protestants, with Roman Catholics comprising most of the rest; there is, however, a small community of Armenian Orthodox Christians.

For more ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Myanmar, see here.

“Kachin Bible School Shelled by Burmese Army,” International Christian Concern, November 4, 2022:

11/04/2022 Myanmar (International Christian Concern)  A Baptist seminary in northern Myanmar was attacked by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) on Thursday, injuring four men in the dormitory.

The Tatmadaw launched three attacks on the Theological Seminary in Kutkai, Shan State. The school was founded by the Kachin Baptist Convention. There was no active fighting between junta forces and local ethnic armed groups at the time.

The victims were hit by shrapnel and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Those injured were Myitung Doi La, 24; Ndau Awng San, 27; Nhkum Sut Ring Awng, 21; and Sumlut Brang San, 22.

A Facebook video shared by Marip La Hkwang, an ethnic Kachin Christian, showed damage caused by the shelling. Visible holes and dents could be seen on the windows, walls, and student clothing. Another video showed an injured student being escorted out for medical treatment. One local resident said that this kind of attack by the military threatens the Christian Bible School and the entire Kachin nation.

“They (Military Council) hate our Kachin people so much,” he told 72 Media. “This is why we are being targeted and attacked. This looks like a planned shooting. My heart hurts so much. Since this happened, we Kachin people must be careful.”

“The attack against this Kachin Bible school was certainly not an accident,” said Gina Goh, International Christian Concern’s regional manager for Southeast Asia. “Instead, the Tatmadaw deliberately targeted a Christian facility knowing how important the faith is to Kachin people. This despicable junta regime should not be tolerated any further by the international community and needs to be removed at once.”…

Ethnic Kachin in Myanmar has a Christian majority, where more than 90 percent of the people adhere to the Christian faith. They also have one of the most robust militaries among the ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar, making them a constant target of the Tatmadaw….