By Luke Booker, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar since a military coup overthrew the government was the focus of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hearing held in late February, according to a leading Christian advocacy group.
Following the February 1, 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s Christian population has endured escalating persecution. Under the control of the State Administration Council (SAC), religious minorities—including Christians—have been targeted through arrests, killings, and the destruction of churches.
In his opening remarks at the hearing, USCIRF Vice Chair Meir Soloveichik noted, “over the past four years, Myanmar has sunk into a human rights and humanitarian abyss.”
Soloveichik highlighted, “on Jan. 7, 2024, the military launched airstrikes in the Sagaing region, killing 17 civilians, including nine children, at Saint Peter Baptist Church in Kanan village.” He noted that this is just one example of many reported incidents where Christians are being persecuted for their faith.
According to the USCIRF, Christian pastor Thian Lian Sang has been detained by authorities since his arrest in September 2021 due to his “leadership role” as a Baptist pastor. In December 2022, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, the International Christian Concern reported.
At the hearing, Salai Za Uk Ling, executive director of the Chin Human Rights Association, testified about the severe conditions for Christians in the country.
“Since the military coup in Burma (Myanmar) four years ago, we have witnessed a systematic campaign of religious persecution, particularly targeting the Christian population in Chin State,” Ling told the commission.
“These actions include the destruction of churches, the unlawful killing and enforced disappearance of pastors, the arrest of religious leaders, and severe restrictions on free worship and assembly.”
Myanmar is ranked 13th on Open Doors’ World Watch List in 2025, which identifies the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran has agreed to “highest level” nuclear inspections far into the future, calling it a major concession in a developing 60-day roadmap agreement aimed at preventing Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear program and reducing the risk of renewed conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
Bipartisan legislation to boost housing supply and home ownership nationally cleared the U.S. Senate in an 85-5 vote Monday evening, the largest housing bill Congress has advanced in decades.
In a “significant judgment welcomed by Pakistan’s Christian community and human rights advocates,” a court in Pakistan acquitted a blind Christian man who potentially faced the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam, a Christian advocate told Worthy News.
Israeli and Lebanese delegations are set to meet in Washington on Tuesday for three days of talks focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the possibility of future normalization between the two neighboring countries.
President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran will face “major weapons inspections” under a developing peace framework with the United States, even as Tehran publicly denied making any new nuclear commitments during high-level talks in Switzerland.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed two executive orders aimed at accelerating America’s lead in quantum computing while preparing federal systems for the next generation of cyber threats.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights inquiry into Major League Baseball after several San Francisco Giants players were reportedly warned for writing Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night, raising fresh concerns about religious freedom in professional sports.