Airstrike Damages Catholic Church in Pekon Township, Shan State
By Network Media Group
February 12, 2023
On 10 February, a Burma Army fighter jet attacked a Catholic Church in Pekon Township in southern Shan State near the border with Karenni State. The jet fighter dropped bombs on Wari Khu village, damaging the Mae Taw Gu Catholic Church and other buildings. There were no reported casualties.
“The situation is getting worse here after the imposition of martial law. The regime used to launch air attacks on IDP camps, schools, clinics and civilian villages. Now they have attacked the Mae Taw Gu Catholic Church. There are no armed clashes in the area. The Mae Taw Gu Catholic Church is located far away from any fighting. I think they intentionally conducted an air attack on the Mae Taw Gu Catholic Church,” a representative of the Demawso PDF (source 1) told NMG.
The Demawso PDF representative (source 1) said that the Burma Army’s fighter jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on the Catholic Church around 11:45 p.m. on February 10. This air attack is the first airstrike in the area after the imposition of martial law on Pekon Township in early February.
In addition to the Church, other buildings in Wari Khu village were damaged in the airstrikes including a civilian house and bamboo huts housing IDPs. Local residents and IDPs are worried that the Burma Army will launch another airstrike in the area.
“Some IDPs have moved to other places for safety. Some people didn’t want to move to another place because they are tired of moving around, having already been displaced four or five times already. IDPs fear there will be more Burma Army airstrikes in the future,” a Demawso PDF representative (source 1) told NMG.
The Demawso PDF representative (source 1) said that civilian resistance groups were not active around the Wari Khu village area. There were no clashes near Wari Khu village before. The area was considered to safe, which is why IDPs are staying in the village.
The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) reported that the Burma Army has launched airstrikes in or near to Karenni State three times since the beginning of January. In two of the three airstrikes Burma Army fighter jets attacked IDP camps. The third airstrike targeted the Mae Taw Gu Catholic Church.