A senior Buddhist monk is reported to have been killed during an airstrike by Myanmar’s military, which struck a monastery and pagoda complex in Kayin State’s (formerly Karen State) Myawaddy Township on 28 July, amid heavy fighting with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) near Myanmar’s border with Thailand.
According to local news reports, the abbot of the monastery was critically injured when a junta fighter jet dropped a bomb on the hilltip religious site and later died from his wounds. Two novice monks were reported to have been injured by shrapnel and taken to a local hospital for treatment. The attack also caused damage to the monastery complex.
“A fighter jet dropped a bomb, and everyone had to flee,” a local aid worker assisting displaced residents was quoted as saying. “The abbot died because his injuries were too severe. Two novice monks were wounded and hospitalized. We hear the sounds of artillery shelling and airstrikes in the area every day.” (BNI)
Myanmar’s military declared a state of emergency on 1 February 2021, after detaining President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The coup d’état took place hours before the country’s new parliament was due to convene following a general election in November 2020, in which the NLD secured a decisive victory.
Since then, the military-led State Administration Council (now the State Security and Peace Commission) has sought to consolidate power through violent crackdowns on protests and dissent held in defiance of military-led suppression. Even the country’s venerated Buddhist monastic sangha have found themselves in the military’s crosshairs.*
The report added that Myanmar government forces had been conducting a major offensive in the area for nearly a year, aiming to capture a fortified KNLA position, however ground forces had struggled to advance against armed resistance.
“On July 26, advancing junta forces had engaged in heavy fighting with a resistance coalition led by KNLA Brigade 6,” the report stated, adding that the military was conducting daily airstrikes around Thonhtatkway to support its stalled ground offensive, alongside heavy bombardments with mortars and rockets. (BNI)
The cross-border impact of the military action, with stray small arms and artillery fire reaching across the Thaungyin (Moei) River, which forms a natural border between Myanmar and Thailand, and landing inside Thai territory, has reportedly raised security concerns in Thailand. Communities on both sides of the border have been evacuated to safer areas.
Thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced since the 2021 coup. The United Nations estimates as much as 40 per cent of the region’s population now requires humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Despite years of violent suppression by government forces, the junta continues to face widespread public opposition. Crackdowns on peaceful protest movements have resulted in a growing number of communities turning to armed resistance, often with support from existing ethnic militia groups. Sagaing Region has been a key conflict area in the civil war, with large parts controlled by volunteer militias.
“Over five years on from the military coup, the Myanmar junta’s assault on the population has decimated every facet of life in the country,” Human Rights Watch said in a 13 March statement. “The military’s recruitment of child soldiers and its use of internationally banned cluster munitions and antipersonnel landmines have greatly expanded since the coup. More than 12 million people are facing acute hunger due to humanitarian blockages, foreign aid cuts, and economic collapse.” (Human Rights Watch)
The Myanmar- and Thailand-based human rights organization Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that as of 5 August, a total of 8,232 people, including 1,095 children, were confirmed to have been killed by the junta in military engagements against the pro-democracy movement. The AAPP noted that the figures represented only deaths that it could independently verify and that the actual number was likely to be significantly higher. A total of 31,651 people were known to have been arrested by the junta, the AAPP said.
Theravada Buddhism has been the official state religion of Myanmar since 1961, with 91.3 per cent of Myanmar’s population identifying as Buddhists, according to census data for 2024. Christians make up 4.6 per cent, Muslims 3.3 per cent, and Hindus 0.6 per cent, with tribal and other religions (including no religious affiliation) comprising 0.2 per cent.
* Buddhist Monastics Targeted in Ongoing Crackdown by Myanmar’s Military Junta (BDG) and Myanmar Junta Drops Plan to Place Buddhist Monks on Military Roadblocks (BDG)
See more
Myanmar Junta Airstrike Kills Buddhist Abbot as Fighting Escalates Near Thai Border (BNI)
Daily Briefing in Relation to the Military Coup (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners)
Myanmar: Junta’s Crimes Escalate, States Should Reject Sham Elections (Human Rights Watch)
Related news reports from BDG
Buddhist Abbot Detained and Beaten broy Myanmar Military – Report
Three Buddhist Monks Reported Killed in Military Airstrikes During Myanmar’s New Year Festival
At least 32 Killed, 50 Injured During Myanmar Military Strike on Buddhist Festival
Report: Senior Buddhist Monk Killed by Myanmar Military
Report: More than 20 People Killed in Attack on Buddhist Monastery by Myanmar Military
Report: 13 Killed in Military Attack on Buddhist School in Myanmar
Report: Nearly 60 Buddhist Monks Detained in Myanmar Since Military Seized Power
International Network of Engaged Buddhists Issues Statement Urging Compassion and an End to Violence in Myanmar
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Taking Up Arms? Meeting the Crisis in Myanmar
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