Junta bombs birthplace of Myanmar’s Cardinal

Myanmar’s military has bombed Monhla, the birthplace of Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the country’s first and only Catholic cardinal, killing one woman and injuring two others.

Local sources reported that three gyrocopters launched the strike on 25 July from Monywa, hitting the centuries-old Catholic-Buddhist village in Sagaing Region. The attack destroyed homes, vehicles and a paddy storehouse. Witnesses said no fighting had occurred in Monhla prior to the raid.

The assault is part of a wider campaign of aerial bombardment across Sagaing, one of the regions hardest hit since the junta seized power in 2021. Airstrikes have become a hallmark of the military’s response to armed resistance, leaving civilians increasingly exposed.

Monhla holds symbolic weight in Myanmar’s Catholic community. Founded by Portuguese settlers, it is where Cardinal Bo was born in 1948 before being elevated by Pope Francis in 2015. While revered internationally, Bo has faced criticism at home for maintaining ties with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who led the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.

The bombing underscores the junta’s willingness to target even villages of cultural and religious significance. Analysts say it reflects the military’s broader strategy of intimidation, striking communities far from active battle zones to spread fear.

Sagaing has endured some of the deadliest raids of the conflict, with repeated reports of civilian casualties and widespread destruction. For residents of Monhla, the attack has shattered a place long seen as a model of coexistence, leaving scars that go beyond the physical damage.

As Myanmar’s civil war grinds on, the strike on Cardinal Bo’s birthplace is likely to resonate both domestically and abroad, highlighting the human cost of a conflict that shows no sign of abating.

-2026-07-29