The Sagaing Region Strike Force has urged the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, Myanmar’s highest Buddhist monastic authority, to condemn military airstrikes on monasteries and other religious sites, warning that the attacks are putting monks and civilians at risk.

In a statement issued on October 15, the resistance group accused Myanmar’s military junta of repeatedly bombing Buddhist religious buildings that have no involvement in military or revolutionary activities. It called for an immediate halt to the attacks and urged religious leaders to speak out against them, according to Khit Thit News.

The group cited an airstrike on October 11, during the Thadingyut full moon period, on the Mula Maha Sima Monastery in Saik Khon village of Shwebo Township in Sagaing Region.

The monastery is a historic religious centre associated with the teachings of the renowned monk Maha Si Sayadaw. It also serves as a centre for Buddhist learning and Vipassana meditation, the group said, adding that the institution has no connection with political or armed activities.

The statement further alleged that junta forces have targeted monasteries in several rural areas, including locations in Myang Township and Chaung-U Township. A seven-day Dhamma camp held at a monastery in Pan Hla Taw village was also among the sites reportedly hit.

According to the resistance group, the attacks have endangered monks, nuns, meditation practitioners and laypeople attending religious activities, causing deaths, injuries and displacement.

It said monasteries serve as essential places for Buddhist worship, meditation, charitable activities and community gatherings, particularly in rural areas. Bombing these sites not only threatens lives but also disrupts religious practices and damages the social fabric of local communities.

The Sagaing Region Strike Force called on senior Buddhist monks and members of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee to publicly condemn the attacks and press the military authorities to stop airstrikes on religious sites.

It also urged religious leaders and other influential figures to issue a clear statement protecting monasteries, pagodas and religious schools from military attacks during the ongoing conflict.

BOB Post