Myanmar’s military junta has destroyed over 200 religious sites, 400 health facilities, and 240 schools since 2021, targeting civilian infrastructure.
Newsroom (13/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) Myanmar’s military junta has systematically targeted and destroyed or damaged hundreds of religious, health, and educational institutions over the past five years, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn nation, according to a recent report by the Vatican news agency Fides. The report, released on November 11, 2025, cites local sources within Myanmar and corroborates findings from independent organizations, painting a grim picture of the junta’s campaign against civilian infrastructure amid the ongoing civil war.
Since the military coup in February 2021, which ousted the country’s elected government, Myanmar has been engulfed in a brutal conflict pitting the junta against ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces. The junta, which is estimated to control only about 30 percent of the country, has resorted to widespread violence to maintain its grip on power. According to Fides, more than 200 religious sites—including Buddhist temples, Christian churches, Muslim mosques, and monasteries—have been looted, damaged, or obliterated since the conflict began. The destruction has been particularly severe in the Sagaing and Magwe regions and in Chin and Kayah states, where junta forces have employed “indiscriminate airstrikes, artillery, and drone attacks,” an unnamed source told Fides.
Christian communities in Chin, Kayah, and Kachin states—regions known for their strong resistance to the junta—have borne the brunt of the attacks. The report details the destruction of nine churches and related buildings, including Christ the King Church in Falam, Chin State, leveled by an airstrike in April 2025; Sacred Heart Church in Mindat, intended as the cathedral for the newly established Diocese of Mindat, bombed in February 2025; and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Banmaw, Kachin State, which was burned down in March 2025 alongside diocesan offices and the bishop’s residence. These attacks not only devastate sacred spaces but also erode the cultural and spiritual fabric of Myanmar’s diverse communities.
The assault on civilian infrastructure extends far beyond religious sites. Over 400 health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries—many of which provide free care to impoverished communities—have been struck by military attacks. The loss of these facilities has crippled healthcare access for millions, compounding the suffering caused by the conflict. Similarly, more than 240 schools have been destroyed in air raids, disrupting education for thousands of children. Surviving school buildings are often repurposed as military bases or command posts, further denying students access to learning.
Catholic leaders in Myanmar, supported by testimonies from priests, missionaries, and laypeople, are compiling a comprehensive census to document the war’s toll on religious communities. Their findings align with data from independent organizations such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, the Centre for Information Resilience, and Myanmar Witness, which have tracked the junta’s violations. These groups emphasize that places of worship, schools, and medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law, including the Hague Convention, which explicitly prohibits targeting such sites. “Places of worship are civilian properties and should not be targeted,” a Catholic leader told Fides, underscoring the junta’s flagrant disregard for global norms.
The broader humanitarian toll is staggering. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed since the 2021 coup, with over 22,000 arbitrarily detained. The UN estimates that 22 million people—nearly half of Myanmar’s population—require humanitarian aid, while 3.5 million have been displaced by the violence. The destruction of religious, health, and educational infrastructure has deepened the crisis, leaving communities without access to spiritual solace, medical care, or opportunities for education.
As Myanmar’s civil war grinds on, the junta’s targeting of civilian institutions has drawn international condemnation. Yet, with the military showing no signs of relenting, the people of Myanmar face an increasingly dire future, caught in a cycle of violence and loss that threatens to unravel the nation’s social fabric.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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