by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - As Myanmar continues to reel under the violent conflict instigated by the Buddhist Burmese army at least 29 Christians, including children, were killed in an air strike on a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kachin state earlier this month, the Open Doors international Christian aid group reports.
Intent on imposing its version of Buddhist nationalism, the Burmese military overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021. Now, fighting local resistance groups, the military has drawn the country into a fresh round of violent civil war.
According to Open Doors, 56 other people were wounded in this month’s air strike on Christian-majority Kachin state. The Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) are believed to have carried out the attack.
“The persecution of Christians in Myanmar continues to worsen since the military took control in February 2021,” Open Doors reports in a website statement. “Fighting has increased across the country and the Christian minority is bearing the brunt of these attacks. Churches have been attacked and destroyed. More Christians than ever have become internally displaced people or refugees, and are living in camps or churches without adequate food and healthcare.”
War-torn Myanmar ranks 14th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.