19 Delays in Demolishing Unsafe Structures On May 27, 2025, junta officials sealed Gattan Mosque in Sagaing after it was damaged in the earthquake, amid a dispute with local police over ownership of the site. BHRN classified the mosque as moderately damaged.49 In Bone Oh Village, Amarapura Township, a community representative said three of eight mosques had completely collapsed or been reduced to the ground, while the remaining five had sustained major damage requiring repair or reconstruction. Asked whether any had received demolition permission, he replied, “Not a single one.” He said community representatives, local groups, and villagers had repeatedly approached officials without obtaining permission. At one mosque, after the women's section collapsed, the community demolished the men's section without permission. He said another mosque was similarly demolished, creating complications for other mosque applications.50 The same representative said the Arabic Science School in Bone Oh had also collapsed. The community applied for permission to remove the remaining walls and damaged structures. Officials said permission would be issued within a few days, but by June 15, 2025, the community had still not received it.51 He said most prayer facilities in the village remained temporary, with worshippers using only two or three mosque buildings.52 Community representatives repeatedly sought permission through township, district, and regional junta-controlled offices. A representative said a newspaper report after the earthquake stated that affected religious buildings could be rebuilt according to their original designs, but the announcement had not translated into permission locally. “That is the only announcement I have seen saying that permission would be granted,” he told BHRN. “In practice, however, the announcement has not reached us on the ground.”53 A Mandalay trustee told BHRN that junta officials initially issued demolition orders for 33 mosques after the earthquake. When other mosques were submitted, officials did not issue demolition orders and instead instructed applicants to obtain religious-land designation and apply for construction permits. By September 13, 2026, the trustee said only about four to six of the original 33 cases had made meaningful progress through the approval process.54 Another Mandalay trustee said more than 70 mosques across the city had submitted applications by September 13, 2026. He said only four mosques had received repair permission, while Panthay Mosque was the only mosque he identified as having received permission to rebuild from scratch. “There are more than 70 mosques. Only four have received permission, so there are still many left,” he told BHRN, referring to repair permissions.55 49 Myanmar Now, “Junta seals off earthquake-damaged mosque in Sagaing,” 30 May 2025. 50 BHRN Interview 12, Myanmar, 15 June 2025. 51 BHRN Interview 12, Myanmar, 15 June 2025. 52 BHRN Interview 12, Myanmar, 15 June 2025. 53 BHRN Interview 12, Myanmar, 15 June 2025. 54 BHRN Interview 15, Myanmar, 13 September 2026. 55 BHRN Interview 17, Myanmar, 13 September 2026.