In the year following the military coup in Myanmar (map), churches “became targets of attacks not because of their religious affiliation but because of their being with the people,” said Father Raymond Kyaw Aung. “The military soldiers are ordered by their generals to fire at anyone or at any community who opposes them.”

“It is not dangerous to be a priest, a Catholic or a Christian in Myanmar, as long as he or she does not get involved in politics or does not oppose the military junta,” he added. “It is dangerous for those who speak, those who write, those who preach, those who criticize.”