Burmese Military Burns Historic Catholic Church Compound in Karenni State; BRI Urges Trump Administration to Determine Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — On the morning of May 13, 2026, at approximately 8:00 a.m. Burma local time, soldiers from the 102nd and 427th Infantry Battalions set fire to three nunnery buildings and a wooden warehouse within the compound of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Doungankha village, Demoso Township, Karenni State (Kayah), as reported by People’s Spring on May 13. The destroyed buildings belong to the Divine Providence Convent of the Doungankha Parish, Diocese of Loikaw — a historic Catholic community in the heart of Karenni State. BRI contacted People’s Spring for additional information and further confirmed the burning through its independent source on the ground.

This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic, ongoing, and egregious campaign of religious persecution — one that demands urgent international accountability,” said Zo Tum Hmung, President & CEO of BRI.

BRI unequivocally condemns the Burmese military’s deliberate and repeated destruction of Christian religious sites in Karenni State.

BRI urges the Trump administration to promptly act on the recommendations outlined in the March 2026 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, signed by BRI and other religious and community organizations, and formally determine that the Tatmadaw’s atrocities against Christians in Burma constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Sources:

• People’s Spring (photo and reporting) (https://www.ludunwayoo.com/news-mm/2026/05/14/157134/ )
• Letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio (https://burmari.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Letter-to-Secretary-Rubio-March-232026.pdf)
• Response Letter from a Senior State Department Official on Behalf of Secretary of State Marco Rubio (https://burmari.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/State-Department-Response-–-March23-2026-Letter.pdf).

The Burma Research Institute (BRI), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Ellicott City, Maryland, in the United States. It conducts research and advocacy primarily focused on freedom of religion or belief in Burma, and advocates for human rights and protection and assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons from Burma. BRI also empowers the local Chin community in Maryland and across the United States to successfully integrate into American society. (www.burmari.org).