The Venerable Bhaddanta Wisudda, the abbot of a monastery in Kyaukkwin village, Hpapun Township, Karen State, passed away following an unprovoked aerial attack by the military council forces on the evening of March 5. According to local residents, the military council conducted an aerial bombardment on the monastery despite there being no active fighting in the area. Two other monks were also injured in the attack, which caused significant damage to the monastery compound. The military forces not only dropped bombs but also fired upon the monastery with machine guns.
The funeral ceremony for Venerable Bhaddanta Wisudda was held on March 6, while the two injured monks were transferred to Hpa-an city for medical treatment due to the severity of their injuries. The aerial attack caused extensive damage to the monastery buildings and destroyed numerous items within the compound. Local residents reported that this deliberate targeting of a religious building without any military conflict in the area serves as further evidence of the military council’s acts of violence. The military council has previously attacked and destroyed religious buildings and structures, and this attack on the Kyaukkwin village monastery represents another such incident.
The local community emphasized that this unprovoked attack on a Buddhist monastery demonstrates the military council’s continued pattern of violence against civilian and religious targets. The destruction of the monastery and the death of the abbot have deeply affected the local community, who view this as another example of the military council’s disregard for religious institutions and civilian safety. The two monks who survived the attack are currently receiving medical treatment in Hpa-an, though their injuries are reported to be serious.
