Junta to demolish Taungoo Cathedral for 'archaeological digs’
A demolition order was also served to 19 Buddhist sites in the city's "cultural zone," set to be razed to unearth ancient Ketumati. AsiaNews reports local Catholics are dismayed by the threat looming over the church dedicated to the Sacred Heart, built in the late 19th century by PIME missionaries. This is just the latest blow by the military to destroy places of worship. As many as 300 have been affected in Myanmar since the coup on 1 February 2021.
Yangon (AsiaNews) – In an escalating crackdown on the country’s religious heritage, Myanmar’s State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), the military junta, is moving ahead with plans to demolish the historic Sacred Heart Cathedral of Taungoo and at least 19 Buddhist religious sites, igniting a deep sense of loss across faith communities.
The latest demolition order, reported by UCA News, confirmed by a local aid and charity organisation and local religious leaders, follows a pattern of intimidation and violence against religious institutions that has intensified since the coup of 2021.
Citing the expansion of archaeological excavations in the 16thcentury city of Toungoo (Ketumati), the SSPC has ordered not only the removal of Christian sites, but also 16 Buddhist monasteries, a nunnery, a retreat centre, and a pagoda – all located within the so-called cultural zone.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral’s roots reach deep into Taungoo’s history, serving as a spiritual home for generations of Catholics since its establishment by Italian missionaries in the late 19th century.
Parishioners recall baptisms, weddings, and prayers offered for loved ones within its walls. Its current structure – rebuilt in 1987 after its earlier destruction in World War II and subsequent reconstruction – stands on land granted for Christian soldiers by the British administration, a legacy now at risk of being erased.
Andrew, a local resident, shared the community’s grief: “As a Catholic, we are so sorry for this news. We can confirm this news is real and nowadays, some demolitions are already started in nearby areas. Although there is a rumour about a 16th-century excavation site, they seem to be targeting religious groups like Buddhists and Christians.”
For the Catholic minority in Myanmar, the pain is both immediate and generational. Jacinta expressed her fear that weighs on many.
“The problem is we Catholics dare not raise our concern as a minority group in Myanmar when the majority religion is even oppressed in this case,” she explained.
“There are a lot of concerns in the Catholic community of Taungoo. Whether we can get substitute land back from the authorities after the cathedral demolition is a major concern.
“And as the Ministry of Religious Affairs under the junta is not providing any permission for religious building construction, we are worried that the authorities won’t give us permission to reconstruct our Taungoo diocesan cathedral even if we have some plot of land.”
This latest blow follows a pattern of mounting losses for the Catholic Church in Myanmar. The SSPC’s actions since the coup have forcibly displaced bishops from several dioceses: Hakha in Chin State, Bhamo in Kachin State, Loikaw in Karenni State, and Lashio in Northern Shan State. Now, Taungoo’s episcopal seat is similarly threatened.
In a recent example of escalating violence, the cathedral in Bhamo was set ablaze only three months ago by SSPC soldiers, signalling ever greater insecurity for the faithful.
Since February 2021, independent researchers have recorded the destruction of more than 300 religious sites nationwide, often in the wake of airstrikes or punitive raids.
The National Unity Government, operating in exile, claims the pattern is evidence of a calculated policy by junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing to undermine religious and civil resistance.
For Taungoo’s Catholics, the cathedral’s loss is more than the destruction of a building: it marks a rupture in the faith life of a city, and adds to a growing sense of fear, displacement, and disenfranchisement for minorities throughout the nation.
Yet within sorrow, quiet resolve remains. As bulldozers move closer to Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Buddhist monasteries await an uncertain fate, Myanmar’s religious communities look to their faith for solace, endurance, and solidarity – united in prayer that, someday, their sacred places may rise again.
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01/02/2022 11:24
04/12/2007
