Myanmar has started excavation works in Bago Region’s Toungoo Township aimed at the restoration of a 16th-century city.
The ancient city of Toungoo-Ketumati was established by King Mingyi Nyo in 1510 during the Toungoo dynasty.
The military-led Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture has already notified several religious leaders and local officials regarding the demolition of 19 Buddhist religious sites and one historic cathedral to give way to the ongoing excavation work.
An official letter released at the start of the month claimed that further excavation of the ancient ruins was necessary to help protect and preserve its walls and moat.
It added that the ministry will prioritise the preservation of Toungoo-Ketumati and will push through with the removal of the church and the religious sites.
Locals reject plan
Baptist Pastor Samuel Saw of Hallelujah Church told the Union of Catholic Asian News in an interview that many residents of Toungoo were left shocked by the junta’s excavation in the city.
The Sacred Heart Cathedral is among the sites included in the ministry’s upcoming demolition, but locals have rejected the military regime’s plan.
Pastor Saw said that the historic church has sentimental value for residents since it is where they got baptised or married.
Burial ceremonies were also held in the church after it was built following the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-53).
“The Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of the religious sites they plan to remove. I’m very sad because it’s a historic Catholic church that’s been part of this area since Christianity began to grow here,” the religious leader said.
“My only hope is to plead for leniency, asking them to save at least the main church building. It doesn’t matter if they demolish other buildings in the compound.”
He also shared that many locals have already approached him to help protect the Sacred Heart Cathedral but admitted that Catholic residents in Toungoo remain powerless against the military-led ministry’s demolition plan.
READ MORE: Jakarta mourns death of moto-taxi rider following police vehicle crash
Buddhist sites endangered
According to Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica’s data, between February 2021 and December 2024, around 302 religious buildings were destroyed due to airstrikes triggered by the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar.
Now, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture has said that 16 Buddhist monasteries, one Buddhist nunnery, a Buddhist retreat centre, and a pagoda would be demolished for the excavation works.
Amongst the sites included in the plan is the Nandawon Dhamma Yeikthar Monastery.
However, Buddhist monk Venerable Min Thonnya turned down the proposal, stressing that the junta has no authority to demolish the religious sites.
Min Thonnya, who is currently in exile, asserted that the military junta is an illegitimate government and should not destroy cultural sites in the Southeast Asian nation.
He also argued that the people must be consulted first before the implementation of any projects related to national heritage.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Report: Vietnam accelerates island-building in disputed South China Sea
The road ahead
Buddhist leaders claimed that the military regime’s so-called ‘archaeological excavations‘ were not a genuine effort to protect religious sites, but rather a way to further intimidate religious communities in Myanmar.
The religious officials further stressed that they would continue to call for the protection and preservation of cultural and historical facilities in Myanmar amid continuous intimidation from the military administration.
READ NEXT: International news: Malaysia on high alert, foreign agent activity rises amid Gaza support
Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers