At least 3 killed, 7 injured as Myanmar’s army raid displaced camps in Kayah State
At least three refugees were killed and seven others were injured during the Myanmar army’s raids on refugee camps in eastern Kayah State, where innocent civilians were forced to leave their houses as fighting escalated between the Tatmadaw (army) and armed opposition groups.
According to a source from the local Catholic Church in Myanmar who spoke to the Vatican News, most of the refugees were Catholics and had been displaced across Kayah State’s capital, Loikaw, amidst confrontations between the army and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF).
A 50 year old man was one of the victims, along with two teenage girls, an 18 year old and a 7 year old, when the military raided their camp inside a jungle on January 17. They had already fled Demoso, a neighbouring village where the burnt bodies of at least 35 civilians were discovered on Christmas Day in what was called “the Christmas massacre”. Seven more people were reportedly injured and required medical attention.
The next day, the Catholic community gathered in the forest for a simple burial liturgy, with the father dedicating brief words to the victims’ memory and calling those present to hope and prayer.
As a result of the escalating violence, churches have been shelled and raided by the Myanmar military’s airstrikes as a result of the escalating violence, notably in largely Christian districts populated by the Kachin, Chin, Karen, and Kayah ethnic groups.
The army is targeting churches that have been transformed into displaced shelters, and priests and pastors are being detained, while many unarmed civilians, including Christians, have been killed.
According to reports, six Catholic churches in Loikaw have been abandoned, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Doukhu was recently bombed.
SOURCE: Vatican News
