{"id":2314,"date":"2025-08-13T07:36:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T07:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=2314"},"modified":"2025-08-13T07:36:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T07:36:00","slug":"naungcho-nawnghkio-under-siege-junta-seals-religious-sites-arrests-community-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2025\/08\/13\/naungcho-nawnghkio-under-siege-junta-seals-religious-sites-arrests-community-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Under Siege: Junta Seals Religious Sites, Arrests Community Members"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Under Siege: Junta Seals Religious Sites, Arrests Community Members<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Date of Report:<\/strong> August 11, 2025<br><strong>Location:<\/strong> Naungcho (also spelled Nawnghkio), Northern Shan State<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>References: MMNN Myanmar, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnionline.net\/en\/news\/junta-confiscates-houses-and-shops-naungcho?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Burma News International<\/a>, FB posts and Shan Hearld for news (SHAN) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hashtag\/%E1%80%9E%E1%80%BB%E1%80%BE%E1%80%99%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9E%E1%80%B6%E1%80%90%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%BA%E1%80%86%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B7?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXogWmGX9pS4QsoyqqNtSdhlK77lGCWKsvgk-58XhATV400lVy-Has0XGAabz9vNpWsnRoMXSu3daehgFXbXGONQWsbDwT09U6USs4q0zBinDYj8SfJ9FTvMxslYfaLkPg_R-ibUMwSJfiCpFD_oSQZntlCdbHe_OV_FoeCd9ibQGHyDiZoWl3ao2SRheAnnHE&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R\">\u101e\u103b\u103e\u1019\u103a\u1038\u101e\u1036\u1010\u1031\u102c\u103a\u1006\u1004\u1037\u103a<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Religious and Commercial Properties Sealed<\/strong><br>The military junta has placed <em>confiscation notices<\/em> on at least <strong>10 properties<\/strong>, including houses, gold shops, and grocery stores in central Naungcho, accusing their owners of supporting the TNLA (Ta\u2019ang National Liberation Army) or the PDF (People\u2019s Defence Force) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnionline.net\/en\/news\/junta-confiscates-houses-and-shops-naungcho?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Burma News International<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Targeting of Religious Institutions<\/strong><br>Two significant religious-linked structures were among those shut:<ul><li>An <strong>Islamic wali<\/strong> (religious shrine\/leader&#8217;s residence), reportedly renovated without prior approval.<\/li><li>A <strong>four-storey building<\/strong> owned by a Hindu temple featuring shops on lower floors and lodging above.<\/li><\/ul>Sources allege the closures were motivated by unpermitted renovations and suspicions of insurgent affiliation. Tenants were reportedly accused of aiding the PDF, prompting shutdowns and dramatic markings of the sites in red paint <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Arrests of Religious Figures and Locals<\/strong><br>Several religious leaders, including local dhammad\u0101sa (Buddhist sermonizers) and community figures, have been arrested under allegations of supporting insurgent groups <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Returning Displaced Civilians Also Detained<\/strong><br>Displaced civilians returning to nearby villages have faced arrests and interrogations by junta forces, accused of sympathizing with the TNLA, DPLA, or PDF. Over <strong>30 returnees<\/strong> are reported to have been detained <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The junta\u2019s <strong>recapture of Naungcho<\/strong> on <strong>July 16, 2025<\/strong>, marked a pivotal shift in control over this strategically crucial gateway in northern Shan State <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This recovery was achieved through an intense military campaign involving drones, airstrikes, and ground offensives\u2014culminating in junta forces seizing banks, offices, and administrative centers in the town by mid-July <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Historical Pattern of Religious Targeting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The junta has a longstanding history of targeting religious leaders and institutions perceived as opposing its rule. For instance, at least <strong>56 Buddhist monks<\/strong> were detained for opposing the 2021 coup, and numerous religious sites\u2014especially Christian and monastic buildings\u2014have been destroyed in military operations <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Summary Table<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Date \/ Period<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Event Summary<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>June 26\u201328, 2024<\/strong><\/td><td>TNLA and PDF forces capture Naungcho and surrounding towns as part of Operation 1027 <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>July 15\u201316, 2025<\/strong><\/td><td>Junta regains full control over Naungcho amidst heavy fighting and drone strikes <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Early August 2025<\/strong><\/td><td>Junta seals over 10 properties and arrests religious figures and locals over alleged insurgent support <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ongoing<\/strong><\/td><td>Detentions of returnees and continued repression of religious communities and displaced individuals <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong> This is the clear case of:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Weaponizing Religious Persecution<\/strong><br>The junta\u2019s suppression of both Muslim and Hindu-linked institutions\u2014even when no insurrection activity is evident\u2014reflects a broader strategy of suppressing religious identities that challenge its control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Erosion of Civil Trust<\/strong><br>The arrests of displaced civilians and returnees, alongside property seizures, deepen mistrust in the military\u2019s governance and legitimacy\u2014making resettlement or reconciliation increasingly unlikely.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Human Rights Concerns<\/strong><br>These actions align with documented patterns of religious targeting by the junta. Advocacy groups and international bodies like USCIRF have long cited such violations as emblematic of Myanmar\u2019s worsening religious freedom situation <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What should we do next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Monitoring Detained Individuals<\/strong><br>Tracking the fate of religious leaders and returnees through human rights groups and international media remains critical.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Advocacy<\/strong><br>Reinforcing pressure from global organizations may help deter further repression and protect vulnerable communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solidarity Reporting<\/strong><br>Encouraging more independent and international reporting on these community-level atrocities will increase visibility and accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Naungcho (Nawnghkio) Under Siege: Junta Seals Religious Sites, Arrests Community Members Date of Report: August 11, 2025Location: Naungcho (also spelled Nawnghkio), Northern Shan State References: MMNN Myanmar, Burma News International, FB posts and Shan Hearld for news (SHAN) \u101e\u103b\u103e\u1019\u103a\u1038\u101e\u1036\u1010\u1031\u102c\u103a\u1006\u1004\u1037\u103a Religious and Commercial Properties SealedThe military junta has placed confiscation notices on at least 10 properties, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-racism","category-local-news","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2316,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314\/revisions\/2316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}