Yangon (AsiaNews) - In a historic ruling, Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG) has sentenced nine members of an armed resistance group to 20 years in prison for the brutal murder of Fr Donald Martin Ye Naing Win. The death of the Catholic priest on 14 February deeply shook the Christian community.
The verdict, announced yesterday, marks a significant step in the attempt to ensure justice and punish a violent crime that deeply shocked Catholics in one of the areas - the Sagaing region - most affected by the conflict that has been ongoing for over four years.
The ‘sentence’ handed down by the leaders of the movement opposing the military junta, which returned to power in February 2021 in a coup, follows an investigation by the NUG's People's Defence Force (PDF) that led to the arrest of 12 people.
The group is suspected of various roles in the brutal murder, which took place in February during a religious service. The men, described by witnesses as fanatical militiamen, allegedly asked the priest to kneel. When he replied, ‘I only kneel before God,’ he was brutally stabbed to death.
Fr. Donald Martin Ye Naing Win was killed in a targeted attack, and authorities claim that the perpetrators acted with premeditation. The trial, which took place in Mandalay, saw the court convict the defendants on the basis of evidence linking them to the crime, although specific details of the motive and circumstances were not disclosed in public reports.
The verdict also reflects Myanmar's judicial response to a case that has highlighted ongoing concerns about violence and security in the region.
The priest was born on 11 November 1981 and was ordained on 20 March 2018 at the Church of the Assumption in Pyin Oo Lwin. A member of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Mandalay, located in central Myanmar, he was killed while carrying out his pastoral ministry in the parish assigned to him, the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the village of Kan-Gyi-Daw, in the township of Shwebo, which has 38 Catholic families. After killing him, the armed commando also desecrated his remains.
A Catholic layman from the diocese of Mandalay, who spoke to AsiaNews anonymously for security reasons, expressed mixed feelings about the verdict: "This kind of killing is terrifying for many Catholics. No one dares to speak about the martyred priest because of the potential violence of some uncontrolled resistance forces.
Even though those responsible have been sentenced to 20 years in prison, we do not see any transparency in the case. We still do not know how our beloved priest was massacred by these people on the day of the event. I hope that the resistance does not behave like the oppressor against whom it is rebelling."
The murder of Fr Ye Naing Win, a respected figure in the Mandalay diocese, has sparked outrage among religious communities and civil society groups. The Catholic Church in Myanmar has called for justice and stressed the need for greater protection for religious leaders in a country grappling with political instability and conflict since the 2021 military coup. The priest dedicated much of his mission to education and humanitarian work for local children and displaced families, providing personalised support in areas where formal education had been disrupted by the conflict.
‘May Our Lady accompany him to heaven and protect all those under her mantle, giving comfort and hope,’ said Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay during the funeral Mass celebrated on 14 February.
This case is part of broader challenges in Myanmar, where ethnic and religious minorities often face persecution. The sentencing of the nine people is seen as a rare case of accountability in a country where impunity for violent crimes is a persistent problem. However, observers note that the sentence alone does not address the deeper systemic issues that fuel violence, particularly the lack of transparency in judicial processes.
Meanwhile, the Catholic community in Mandalay held a memorial service for Fr Ye Naing Win after the verdict, praying for peace and reconciliation, during which church leaders expressed hope that it would discourage future acts of violence against religious figures.
