Myanmar: A Catholic Priest Murdered

A Catholic priest, Fr. Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, was brutally murdered on the evening of February 14, the Episcopal Conference of Myanmar announced. The crime was committed in the Sagaing region, one of the worst affected by the civil war that broke out in the country in 2021, when the army seized power in a coup d’état.

The 44-year-old priest was shot dead while he was busy in his parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in the village of Kan-Gyi-Daw. It is located in the Sagaing region. The region has been gripped by the civil war that is tearing the country apart. The fighting between the People's Defense Forces and the Burmese army is incessant, and the conflict does not spare the Catholic Church.

The Fides news agency reports that the priest was violently attacked, beaten, and disfigured with knives. "The bloody manner in which the killing was carried out,” comments the news agency, “suggests a targeted attack for reasons that have yet to be investigated, just as the killers have yet to be identified.”

“Fr. Donald Martin, 44, was ordained a priest in 2018. In this period of civil war,” reports Fides, “he carried out his task as a pastor of souls with zeal, fidelity and obedience, administering the sacraments in the parish and trying to be close to the suffering community. Furthermore, like so many other priests, he dedicated himself to humanitarian assistance to displaced people.”

On behalf of the Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, issued a note that read: “May the blood and sacrifices of countless innocent people, together with that of Fr. Donald Martin, serve as an offering to end the violence that is raging throughout the country.”

The prelate also stated, “The heinous act committed against Fr. Donald Martin Ye Naing Win cannot be forgotten. We therefore call on those responsible to take appropriate measures and ensure that justice is done so that such incidents are not repeated in the future.”

A call was made to all armed groups to lay down their arms and commit to reconciliation by Archbishop Mark Tin Win of Mandalay. He is head of the diocese of the murdered priest and made this call during the homily at the well-attended funeral held in the victim’s home village.

In the meantime, 10 men suspected of having committed the murder have been arrested by the People’s Defense Forces militia, which opposes the military junta and controls the entire region.