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
The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes Thursday in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, targeting eight military compounds belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Congressional Democrats are moving to force votes in the House and Senate to block President Donald Trump from launching military action against Iran without prior congressional approval.
The third round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran ended Thursday amid sharply conflicting assessments, as diplomatic maneuvering unfolded alongside one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the Middle East in years.
The FBI obtained phone records belonging to its current director, Kash Patel, during the Biden administration while he was still a private citizen, according to multiple reports confirmed Wednesday.
A Spanish-language evangelical congregation in Houston, Texas, home to one of America’s largest Hispanic communities, is mourning its founding pastor after he was accidentally shot and killed during a reported burglary attempt.
Bill Gates, co-founder of tech giant Microsoft and currently ranked among the world’s wealthiest individuals, told employees this week that he had extramarital affairs during his marriage but denied any involvement in or knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking, according to remarks reviewed by U.S. media outlets.
A Christian sanitation worker in eastern Pakistan has alleged he was brutally beaten while performing municipal cleaning duties in what advocacy groups describe as part of mounting pressure on Christians in the Muslim-majority nation.