Cung Biak Hmun, a youth pastor at Thantlang Centennial Baptist Church, was reportedly shot and killed while attempting to save one of his congregants’ burning home. He was survived by his wife and two sons.
The pastor was trying to put out the fire in the house that was hit by the bombing. After being shot, reports say that the bombers removed his finger to steal his wedding ring.
On Saturday, the Myanmar military destroyed at least 19 houses in the town of Thantlang with artillery fire, while soldiers clashed with civil defense groups in Harkha, also in Chin.
Chin Baptist Convention (CBC) put out a statement saying: ““The military’s attack on church buildings, occupying churches and destroying church property, and bombing civilians’ homes is an insult to the religion and the believers.”
More than 206,000 people have been displaced by the conflict since the February coup, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and 3 million people are in need of assistance.
According to the Association for Assistance of Political Prisoners, at least 1,109 people have died as a result of security forces’ violent repression of protests, while at least 6,613 opponents have been detained. A total of 280 people have been sentenced in person, with 26 of them facing the death penalty. There are two children among the 26.
Tom Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar tweeted, “The murder of a Baptist minister and bombing of homes in Thantlang, Chin State are the latest examples of the living hell being delivered daily by junta forces against the people of Myanmar. The world needs to pay closer attention. More importantly, the world needs to act.”
Let us continue to pray for the persecuted in Myanmar. Pray that they would have comfort as well as strength to share the Gospel so that everyone will have a living hope in Christ.