Myanmar: Persecution of Religious and Ethnic Minorities Sparks Exodus

Photo: Myanmar - eGuide Travel

Myanmar's military junta (Tatmadaw/SAC) has, since the February 2021 coup, dramatically intensified the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities that has characterised the country for decades. Rohingya Muslims — already subjected to a documented genocide in 2017 — continue to face mass atrocities in Rakhine State. Kachin Christians, Karen Baptists, Chin Christians, and Shan communities face systematic aerial bombardment, forced displacement, and religious persecution. This report draws on data from OHCHR, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Human Rights Watch, and Fortify Rights.

The Rohingya: Ongoing Genocide

The UN Fact-Finding Mission concluded in 2018 that Myanmar military commanders should be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against the Rohingya. Since the 2021 coup, the situation has deteriorated further. Arakan Army (AA) fighting against both the Tatmadaw and Rohingya communities in Rakhine State has created a three-way conflict that has killed hundreds of Rohingya civilians, burned villages, and obstructed humanitarian access. The International Court of Justice is conducting genocide proceedings against Myanmar brought by The Gambia.[1]

Kachin, Chin and Karen Christians

Myanmar's Kachin, Chin, and Karen communities are predominantly Christian and have faced decades of military campaigns targeting their cultures, religions, and languages. Since the 2021 coup, the Tatmadaw has intensified aerial and ground attacks on Kachin State and Chin State, destroying churches, killing pastors, and forcing entire villages to flee. Human Rights Watch documented the burning of at least 28 churches between 2021 and 2023. Many of these attacks appear to be directed specifically at religious sites as symbols of ethnic resistance.[2]

The burning of churches, the killing of pastors, and the systematic targeting of Christian villages is not collateral damage — it is a deliberate campaign to erase the religious and cultural identity of Myanmar's ethnic minorities.
Fortify Rights, "Myanmar: Military Burns Churches, Kills Civilians in Chin State," 2022

Buddhist Nationalism and State-Sponsored Discrimination

The 969 Movement and its successor MaBaTha have promoted an ideology that conflates Burmese national identity with Theravada Buddhism and frames Muslim and Christian minorities as existential threats. These movements — tacitly supported by the Tatmadaw — have driven anti-Muslim pogroms in multiple cities and provided ideological justification for military campaigns against Rohingya, Kachin, and other communities. Anti-conversion laws adopted by several regions discriminate against non-Buddhist religious practice.[3]

Asylum Considerations

Ethnic and religious minority status constitutes a well-founded basis for asylum claims from Myanmar nationals. Rohingya are recognised for refugee status on a prima facie basis by UNHCR. Kachin, Chin, Karen, and Shan individuals — particularly those from conflict-affected areas — face high risks of persecution on grounds of race, religion, and political opinion imputed to them by virtue of their ethnicity.[4]