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Chin Christian Pastor Killed by Burmese Military; BRI Urges Trump Administration to Protect Persecuted Christians in Burma

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ellicott City, Maryland, USA — Reverend William, senior pastor of Chungcung Baptist Church in Chin State, was killed along with Mr. Nam Ceu by the Burmese military on June 4, 2026. A memorial service was held in Chungcung on August 26, 2026, at approximately 1:30 p.m. Burma time, attended by local residents and pastors from Hakha — more than three months after his arrest. He had served as senior pastor for 25 years and is survived by his wife and five children.

“We grieve with his family, his congregation, and our Chin brothers and sisters everywhere. This was an extrajudicial killing, carried out without due process or trial. But grief demands action. We call on the international community, and especially the United States, to hold those responsible accountable,” said Rev. Dr. Robin Stoops, Burma Research Institute (BRI) Board Chairman and former Associate General Secretary of American Baptist Churches USA. Dr. Stoops had traveled through Chungcung village during a visit to Hakha before the 2021 military coup.

On May 16, 2026, Reverend William — who used no surname — was arrested along with Nam Ceu by the 77th Light Infantry Division, based in Bago (Pegu), at a farm tent one mile from the village. Five people were present at the tent; three fled. Reverend William did not flee, believing his pastoral identification card would protect him.

Two credible sources from Hakha, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told BRI that Colonel Hluan Moe Naing held the two men, who were with him in Hakha on June 2 and in Thantlang on June 3. The church and their families have concluded that Reverend William and Nam Ceu were killed that day.

Christian leaders in Hakha appealed to military authorities in Hakha and Falam, and to the commander of the 77th Light Infantry Division, for information on the men’s whereabouts. The sources also stated that Reverend William was killed on accusations of supporting the Hakha Chinland Defense Force (CDF). The church’s repeated requests for information about his whereabouts went unanswered.

Chungcung, a village of about 300 houses located 15 miles from Hakha, the state capital, sits along the route Burmese soldiers travel from Kalaymyo to Hakha. Since the 2021 military coup, the army has burned or destroyed 118 houses in Chungcung, killed 16 civilians, and wounded 5 others, and has previously destroyed property belonging to Chungcung Baptist Church.

This is not the first attack on Chungcung Baptist Church. On October 14, 2021 — eight months after the February 2021 military coup — Burmese military forces occupied the church, looting and destroying part of its property, as documented in BRI’s (formerly CAM) October 2021 report: https://burmari.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/After-the-2021-Military-Coup-inMyanmarBurma.pdf

Under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, Burma has been designated a Country of Particular Concern since 1999 for successive military regimes’ systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Despite this designation, the United States has taken no meaningful action against the ruling military junta.

“We call the Trump administration to protect the persecuted Christians in Burma,” said Zo Tum Hmung, President and CEO of BRI.

Additional Sources (Photos provided by anonymous sources)

The Burma Research Institute (BRI), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Ellicott City, Maryland, in the United States. It conducts research and advocacy primarily focused on freedom of religion or belief in Burma, and advocates for human rights and protection and assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons from Burma. BRI also empowers the local Chin community in Maryland and across the United States to successfully integrate into American society. (www.burmari.org).

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