Myitkyina – The Diocese of Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State, a region ravaged by intense fighting in the ongoing civil war, has erected a statue of Carlo Acutis in the Cathedral of St. Columbanus. The inauguration of the statue, the first of its kind in Myanmar, took place on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the priesthood and the first anniversary of the episcopate of the Bishop of Myitkyina, John La Sam. “The intention behind the statue is that young people can learn from Carlo Acutis how to bear witness to the faith in their lives, even in times of trial, especially during this difficult time the nation is experiencing,” Father John Aung Htoi, a priest of the Diocese of Myitkyina, explained to Fides. “It is also intended to highlight that young people in Myanmar can draw inspiration from Acutis to live their faith through the internet and social media,” he added.
“Carlo Acutis is an example of youthful holiness for young people today, who face a great challenge on their journey to adulthood: they must navigate and survive this crisis affecting a country torn apart by civil war. Young Burmese face many social and moral threats: drugs, violence, family disintegration, crime, and the use of social media in a context lacking legal protections,” the priest explains. “Therefore, they are frightened and seek points of reference such as the teachings of the Church. They need to trust in institutions like the Catholic Church, which has solid foundations and encourages them to build their lives on the rock that is Christ himself. As a Catholic community in Myitkyina, but also in other dioceses, we try to organize annual youth camps, faith formation programs, and educational programs as much as possible. We try to be close to and accompany young people in their process of growth,” he observes.
“Young people in Myanmar today,” he continues, “need understanding, guidance, and trust.” At the same time, they must learn to take responsibility for their own actions, acknowledge their mistakes, heed the advice of their elders, and actively participate in socially beneficial activities.
“Young people are a vital resource for the future, and therefore we must take care of them,” he concludes.
In various regions of the country, and especially where conflicts and fighting are ongoing, adolescents and young people represent a particularly vulnerable segment of the population: many live on the streets, are orphans, or lack a family capable of protecting them, and are at risk of becoming a “lost generation.”
To address these challenges, in the Archdiocese of Mandalay, in the north of the country, the “Don Bosco” Youth Center, founded in 2014, welcomes some 60 young people and adolescents from difficult backgrounds, often orphans or living on the streets. The Salesian missionaries care for them, providing shelter, food, accommodation, schooling, healthcare, and education, along with sports, music, and cultural activities characteristic of the Salesian charism. “Our mission,” write the Salesian priests, “is to accompany them in their growth with security, dignity, and hope.” Myanmar is experiencing a very delicate historical moment: the military junta’s coup in 2021 interrupted the fragile democratic process that had lasted nearly ten years. Thousands of young people protested peacefully for the restoration of democracy and subsequently joined the armed struggle in the ranks of the resistance, both in the People’s Defense Forces and in the armies of ethnic minorities. The implementation of the conscription law, enacted by the military junta in 2024, has created further hardships for young people in Myanmar, with 60,000 young men forcibly recruited and sent to the front lines. The campaign has forced nearly 100,000 young people into hiding or to flee abroad, especially to Thailand. Young people between the ages of 15 and 35 represent 33% of Myanmar’s 60 million inhabitants, with a national median age of 27. From 2010 to 2020, young people in Myanmar glimpsed a glimmer of freedom and opportunity. However, the 2021 coup halted this process, but it also triggered a new wave of resistance and civic engagement led by young people. For many of them, the 2021 coup was not just “a political event”: it had a profoundly personal impact, erasing their experience of democracy and the enjoyment of individual rights. The 2021 coup contributed to strengthening the political awakening of young people in Myanmar, who wish to fight to rebuild a nation based on the values of peace, justice, democracy, dialogue, and unity.
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