Myanmar: Government troops attack Buddhist school

Dictatorial paranoia Myanmar | 13 October 2022

In a particularly brutal attack, a Buddhist school was recently targeted by army helicopters, killing at least 11 children and injuring scores more.

While the war in Ukraine dominates the headlines and is seriously affecting state economies on a global scale, other conflicts have been pushed out of the spotlight. As reported by Foreign Policy on 27 September 2022, this is true for the civil war in Myanmar where the military regime has failed to assert control after 18 months in power. The Tatmadaw, the national army, appears unable to overcome the fierce resistance of the opposition forces, which have been joined by some ethnic minority armies.

World Watch Research analyst Thomas Muller comments: “WWR has reported several times about attacks on Christian minority regions and on churches perceived as being focal points of resistance. However, it should be kept in mind that Buddhist institutions are not excluded from similar attacks, despite the fact that the Tatmadaw leadership is trying to keep close ties with Buddhist religious leaders. In a particularly brutal attack, a Buddhist school was recently targeted by army helicopters, killing at least 11 children and injuring scores more (BBC News, 21 September 2022). As neither side seems able to win the upper hand, civilians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds will continue to suffer, the latter – which includes Christians – disproportionally more so.”