Junta Airstrike Destroys Monastery Buildings in Za Yat Seik, Displacing Hundreds

September 2, 2025

HURFOM: In Pulaw Township, Tanintharyi Region, junta forces launched a devastating airstrike on the Buddhist monastery in Za Yat Seik village. According to local residents and resistance groups, the attack occurred on August 29 around 12:30 p.m., despite there being no active fighting nearby.

Witnesses reported that two bombs—each weighing approximately 300 pounds—were dropped from a fighter jet, and browning 0.50 machine guns were fired at the compound. The monastery’s dining hall, kitchen, and another outbuilding were leveled. The main two-story monastery building sustained minor damage, and thankfully, no monks were harmed.

Hundreds of residents had already fled Za Yat Seik due to earlier clashes in the area. Because of this prior displacement, no civilian casualties were reported in this particular attack. However, after the airstrike, junta forces intensified their offensive in nearby settlements like Kyat Seik and Sattaw Yar, conducting daily drone bombings and artillery shelling on villages where displaced civilians were taking shelter.

Adding to region-wide suffering, Tanintharyi has seen a sharp increase in airstrikes. A local research group, FE 5 Tanintharyi, reported that July’s airstrikes more than tripled compared to June, rising from 8 to 25. This surge, combined with ground assaults and naval bombardments, drove the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region to reach 82,800 by late August. Among them, about 44,500 are from Myeik District, including Palaw and areas near the monastery, and are sheltering in forests, towns, and rural areas. The destruction of religious and community spaces like the Za Yat Seik monastery only deepens their trauma and despair.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News