A Mother Mary statue erected by Catholics near Har waterfall in Tatanku village, Pinglaung Township in Pa-Ai self- administrative area was destroyed by a group of armed men.
Concerning the incident, Kayan National Unity Organizing Committee issued a statement on January 20.
“There is a unit of PNA in that area. When solving issues on territory issues, PNA said that they will give no problems concerning the statue of Mother Mary. At that time, they gave various problems but not one like this. The statue’s limbs were smashed,” said Khun Tin Nu, a spokesman from the Kayan National Unity Organizing Committee.
Arrangement of holding the feast of “Mary, Queen of Peace” has been planned on January 23 and villagers are preparing to hold the event. Villagers are concerned over the holding of the event as the statue was destroyed.
According to the statement issued by the Kayan National Unity Organizing Committee, it is stated that the act violated the facts described in the National Constitution. In the Constitution, it is mentioned that there is freedom of religion, as well as it violated declaration of human rights, rights of ethnics in the area. To avoid unnecessary problems, immediate action must be taken to those who destroyed the statue.
