Father Nicholas Han Zaw Shing was thrown from his motorcycle and sustained several injuries. Ordained a few weeks ago, he has had to flee the military junta's bombings. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which reported the incident, said that both the Myanmar army and anti-coup resistance groups continue to plant explosives, creating the conditions for decades of further suffering.

Yangon (AsiaNews) – A Jesuit priest, Father Nicholas Han Zaw Shing, was seriously injured by a landmine explosion in Myanmar's Sagaing Region. Ordained in December 2025, the 34-year-old was injured last Saturday while riding his motorcycle in the town of Tanphyu.

According to information received by AsiaNews, the clergyman suffered two superficial wounds to his leg and hip and a more serious wound to his abdomen.

He had been assigned to a parish in rural Sagaing, but shortly after his arrival, like other religious, he was forced to flee into the forest with his community to escape bombardments by the military that destroyed several villages.

A spokesperson for the local Jesuit community explained to AsiaNews that fortunately, Father Nicholas Han Zaw “is improving day by day and is recovering well."

However, he “is another victim of the decades long conflict that intensified with the coup d’état of 2021. Landmines are everywhere, especially around Sagaing where Fr Nicholas is a parish priest,” they add.

“Injuries occur frequently and indiscriminately. The resources and natural wealth of the country is wasted on weapons. Pope Leo called for a ceasefire in Myanmar. That is the only call that makes sense.”

Since the outbreak of civil war in 2021, Sagaing has been the epicentre of violence. Brutal clashes are reported daily between the military junta and the People's Defence Force (PDF), the armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG) operating in exile.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which broke the news about Father Han Zaw Shing, stressed that both the regular army and anti-junta groups use mines.

For its part, the Society of Jesus has been engaged for more than 30 years in the struggle against landmines following a request from the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Cambodia.

At the time, the then Superior General of the Jesuits, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, issued an initial appeal for greater commitment to eliminating explosive devices, which are responsible for great suffering in the civilian population, especially in Southeast Asia, the region with the highest concentration of landmines.

There are an estimated four to six million landmines and other unexploded ordnance in Cambodia today, with another 35 million in Vietnam. Although the Vietnam War ended decades ago, these devices continue to cause great harm among civilians.

Father Kolvenbach's predecessor, Father Pedro Arrupe, witnessed the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Later, as superior general, he founded the Jesuit Refugee Service moved by the plight of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees.

From the start, landmine survivors have been at the heart of the movement. Tun Channareth, who lost both his legs to a landmine in Cambodia, travelled with Father Mike Fergan, later Bishop of Vientiane, to give voice to the victims.

In 1997, 122 countries signed the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in Ottawa (Canada), coming into force after it was ratified by the necessary number of countries and is now part of international law.

Jody Williams, the campaign coordinator, and Tun Channareth, on behalf of the movement, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in December of that year.

“I am very sorry to hear that a Jesuit has been injured. He is one of us,” said Tun Channareth. “We must bring an end to this suffering in Myanmar. All countries please join the Treaty, do not use mines, clear up the mess we have laid, help the victims.”

“No more mines or bombs on our border. We need the political will to clear them all. Many countries are offering us money to do it. So Do It!”, added So Not, a friend of Tun Channareth. Displaced as a child in Thailand, he now works at the Metta Karuna Jesuit Centre, on the Thai-Cambodian border.

Explosive devices have been placed along the border, with deadly results. In the recent past, several soldiers have been killed and wounded during their regular patrol.

• myanmar
• sagaing
• cambodia
• society of jesus
• landmines
• civil war
• treaty