While civil war rages throughout the country, the Myanmar regime has ceded territory in the commercial capital, Yangon, to Russia, its main supplier of weapons, for the construction of an Orthodox church.
This gesture is in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Metropolitan of Singapore and Southeast Asia, Sergiy, met with the military-appointed Mayor Bo Htay last week.
However, in May, General Min Aung Hlaing, who led a coup d’état in February 2021, ousting the previous government of Aung San Suu Kyi, had already met with the metropolitan in Myanmar to discuss the creation of a Buddhist center in Russia.
According to military-controlled state media, the church will be built in the North Dagon municipality and will occupy 0.5 hectares of land. The Yangon municipality will provide water and electricity to the structure.
The exploitation of religion, along with nuclear and financial cooperation and the exchange of arms, characterizes the Naypyidaw and Russian regimes.
In July last year, General Min Aung Hlaing consecrated a replica of the Shwezigon temple of Bagan in Moscow, alongside the monk Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara, who supports the coup junta in a manner similar to how Patriarch Kirill supports Russian President Vladimir Putin in invading Ukraine.
Despite the Buddhist majority in the central regions of Myanmar clearly opposing the military, many Buddhist monks have received honors in the last two years for their support for the coup.
During the May visit, Metropolitan Sergiy met with former Major General Aung Thaw, now president of the Myanmar-Russia Friendship Association, who also chairs the junta’s Civil Services Council.
On that occasion, the metropolitan pointed out that Russian travelers abroad often visit local Orthodox churches, suggesting that a church in Myanmar could attract tourists.
Since the coup d’état, which sparked a brutal civil conflict pitting the military against the anti-coup resistance militias, the tourism sector has seen a decline.
Direct flights between Russia and Myanmar also resumed last month after a 30-year hiatus, a decision the Russian Aviation Agency said should “create additional opportunities for Russian tourists looking to holiday in the Southeast Asian region” and “contribute to the development of trade contacts.”
