After about a month of imprisonment, William, who led his congregation for more than 25 years in eastern Myanmar (formerly Burma), was murdered by the military junta, along with Nam Ceu, another follower of Christ who was arrested.
The Burma Research Institute confirmed that the Baptist pastor and Ceu were executed June 4, and a funeral was held Aug. 26. He is survived by his wife and five children.
William, who has no surname, was arrested May 16, about one mile outside his village and about 15 miles outside the state capital. William and Ceu were detained for allegedly supporting an anti-junta resistance group called Hakha Chinland Defense Force. The church he pastored, Chungcung Baptist Church, is located in the Chin state. His church made numerous attempts to discover the pastor’s location but never succeeded.
‘Without due process’
“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,” said Robin Stoops, Burma Research Institute board chairman and former associate general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA, in a statement. “But grief demands action. We call on the international community, and especially the United States, to hold those responsible accountable.”
BRI’s president and CEO, Zo Tum Hmung, has asked the White House to “protect the persecuted Christians” in the nation. Myanmar ranks as the 14th most dangerous country to be a Christian, according to the Christian watchdog organization Open Doors.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Hannah Davis and originally published by Decision Magazine.
