Myanmar’s military government has issued orders to demolish 19 Buddhist sites in Taungoo (historically Ketumati), a city in central Myanmar north of Yangon and just south of the country’s new capital Naypyidaw. The list of sites to be destroyed includes monasteries, a nunnery, a retreat center, and a pagoda, as part of what junta officials describe as an expansion of archaeological excavations. The order also extends to Taungoo’s Sacred Heart Cathedral, but the large-scale targeting of Buddhist monasteries has struck a particularly painful blow in a nation where more than 85 per cent of the people are Buddhists.
The State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), the governing body established by the junta, has designated Taungoo’s “cultural zone” as the site of the demolitions. Local Buddhist monks and laypeople fear that the move represents not a genuine archaeological effort but a continuation of the military’s campaign of intimidation against religious life since seizing power on 1 February 2021.
Since the coup, independent monitors have documented the destruction of more than 300 religious sites across Myanmar, the majority of which have been Buddhist monasteries, pagodas, and shrines. These incidents have frequently coincided with military raids, airstrikes, and crackdowns on communities perceived to harbor anti-junta sentiment.
Buddhist leaders have spoken out about the heavy toll on their communities. Entire monasteries have been reduced to rubble, monks forced to flee into hiding, and in some cases, killed. Reports from Sagaing Region and Karenni State detail instances in which soldiers set fire to monastic buildings and used pagoda compounds as military bases, desecrating spaces regarded as sacred by local Buddhists.
The monastery demolitions in Taungoo have been described by observers as part of this wider pattern. While the SSPC has framed the project as an effort to uncover remnants of the 16th-century Toungoo dynasty capital, local residents note that the demolition of living Buddhist institutions appears to be the true focus.
Andrew, a local Catholic resident, described how destruction has already begun nearby and suggested that both Buddhists and Christians were being targeted. “Although there is a rumor about a 16th-century excavation site, they seem to be targeting religious groups like Buddhists and Christians,” he said. (Asia News)
For Myanmar’s Buddhists, the loss of monasteries extends beyond physical buildings. Monastic institutions function as schools, social service centers, and vital community hubs. Their destruction not only removes spiritual anchors but also dismantles systems of education and charity that have long supported the people.
The crackdown has been particularly severe in Buddhist-majority areas known for resistance to the junta. Sagaing Region, where armed civilian militias have emerged, has seen widespread destruction of monasteries and the deaths of monks during military operations. In Karenni State, airstrikes earlier this year destroyed several Buddhist temples, killing civilians who had sought refuge within their walls.
Buddhist monk Venerable Min Thonnya, a writer who helped lead the 2007 Saffron Revolution that protested against the government’s economic policies, told media from his home in exile that “the junta is not a legitimate government,” and it has no authority to engage in such activities. (Herald Malaysia)
The Buddhist clergy, historically central to resistance movements in Myanmar, have repeatedly called for peace and protection of sacred spaces. Yet many monks now face direct repression, with some detained or displaced from their monasteries. In July, 23 people were killed in an airstrike that hit a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing Region.
The situation in Taungoo now brings the crisis into the heart of one of Myanmar’s historic Buddhist centers. Known in the 16th century as Ketumati, the city was the seat of the powerful Toungoo dynasty, which expanded Buddhist influence across mainland Southeast Asia. The threatened demolition of its living monasteries risks severing a vital link between contemporary Buddhist practice and this deep historical legacy.
While Catholics in Taungoo also fear the loss of their Sacred Heart Cathedral, the continued destruction of religious sites follow a pattern that has continued throughout the war as the junta attempts to consolidate control. As BDG reported in March 2022, the junta had already destroyed more than 100 Buddhist temples.*
* Myanmar Junta Has Destroyed Over 100 Buddhist Monasteries, Christian Churches – Report (BDG)
See more
Junta to demolish Taungoo Cathedral for ‘archaeological digs’ (Asia News)
Myanmar military dictatorship to demolish cathedral, Buddhist monasteries (CatholicVote)
Junta plans to demolish Myanmar cathedral, Buddhist monasteries (UCA News)
At least 23 dead after airstrike on Buddhist monastery in Myanmar (Associated Press)
Junta tightens security in Taungoo following resistance attacks (Development Media Group)
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