The Catholic bishop of Pyay has sounded the alarm over worsening violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of fighting between the military and ethnic armed groups.
“The fighting continues, and innocent people are still suffering in the Burmese state of Rakhine,” said Bishop Peter Tin Wai in a report by Fides News Agency. The Diocese of Pyay spans nearly the entire conflict-torn territory in western Myanmar.
On September 12, a Burmese military airstrike on two private schools in the town of Kyauktaw killed 20 young people aged 15 to 21. UNICEF, expressing “deep concern,” said the attack “adds to an increasingly devastating pattern of violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the highest price.”
The junta’s troops are locked in battle with the Arakan Army (AA), which now controls 14 of the state’s 17 municipalities. As it loses ground, the military has turned to aerial bombings that have hit schools, homes, and other civilian structures.
“In most of the state, power is in the hands of the Arakan Army. In those areas, communication is cut off, the education system is in crisis, and people are just trying to survive,” Bishop Tin Wai told Fides.
Despite the war, the Church continues to serve local communities. Twelve parishes remain active in the conflict zones, with priests staying close to the people, sharing in their daily struggles, and sustaining themselves with limited means.
The prelate said they continue to celebrate the sacraments and keep churches open as signs of hope amid the suffering.
Of the diocese’s 30,000 Catholics, about half live in AA-controlled areas, while the rest are in Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, and Munaung, towns still held by the army. But displacement is growing.
“Refugees come to Pyay or leave the state for Yangon, seeking safety. There is a shortage of rice in Rakhine, and many lack education and health care. Families try to move to areas where essential services like schools still function,” the bishop said.
The prelate warned that civilians are caught between two armies, both of which have imposed conscription, forcing young people to enlist and fight. “That’s why all our youth are fleeing abroad, and society is losing its best energy,” he said.
Even in the face of destruction, faith remains a source of strength. According to Bishop Tin Wai, priests and religious, despite their limited means, remain close to the people, offering comfort and support.
He noted that communities hold on to their faith with greater intensity during hardship, turning to God with renewed fervor as the war rages on.
“While armed groups are everywhere, we don’t know what the future holds. Every day is a gift from God. In this civil war that is devastating the nation, national dialogue is urgently needed, and until this happens, no one will win and all will be losers,” he said.
