Myanmar Army troops occupied the compound of the Catholic Church in Loikaw, Karenni (Kayah) State, amid fierce fighting in the area, said Bishop Celso Ba Shwe of Loikaw.
Junta troops tried three times to occupy the church compound before finally occupying it on 27 November, he said.
Bishop Celso Ba Shwe went on to say that about 50 junta soldiers forcibly entered the church compound on 27 November and have been there ever since.
A spokesman for the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) said the occupation of the church compound was a violation of the code of conduct.
“It shows that they are not following the code of conduct. And then they also want to indoctrinate ethnic minorities on religion.”
Despite requests from the bishop and other priests not to occupy the religious compound, the junta troops forced their way in without any regard.
Before occupying the church on 27 November, the troops had fired indiscriminately on the church grounds the day before ( 26 November ) and damaged one of the church buildings.
The occupation by the military council forced 82 people staying in the compound, including the bishop, priests, nuns, and civilians undergoing treatment, to flee to another building as it was no longer safe there.
The KNDF spokesperson said the occupation showed the military’s desperation after losing ground in the battle for Loikaw.
“Another thing is that they have completely lost control. This shows that their situation has collapsed to the extent that they are even occupying religious places,” he said.
Although Karenni State is the smallest state in Myanmar, the military has systematically used heavy weapons, fighter jets, transport vehicles and artillery shells in its attacks. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe pointed out in his statement that the situation was extremely serious.
Since Operation 1111, around 1,300 residents of the town had sought refuge in the church grounds, but as the fighting escalated, they fled to other areas.
Sent by NMG.