Catholics in Myanmar’s Civil War

Though Myanmar is a diverse nation with 135 ethnic groups, Myanmar’s military government is mainly made up of individuals from the Burman ethnic group. Unsurprisingly, the many ethnic groups unrepresented in the Burmese government have faced repression under the military junta’s rule. The conflict traces back to 1948 when ethnic armies first took up arms against the military. Shockingly, this conflict is still ongoing today, making Myanmar the site of the world’s oldest continuous conflict. Buddhism stands as the predominant religion in Myanmar, while the Catholic minority has a history in the country dating back over 500 years. Since Myanmar gained independence in 1948, successive military regimes have portrayed Catholics as traitors, subjecting them to repression.