A Baptist pastor has been shot and killed by the military in Myanmar, prompting renewed calls for prayer for the country’s Christian community.
According to International Christian Concern (ICC), Rev Dal Thawn Tuang, assistant pastor of Lamzang Baptist Church in Lamzang Village, Chin State, was reportedly killed at around 4pm on 14 September while returning from "religious activities" in a nearby village.
ICC said the pastor was shot three times. His death was confirmed by the Burma Research Institute (BRI).
Pastor Tuang had served at Lamzang Baptist Church for 22 years. He leaves behind his wife and two children. His funeral took place in Lamzang Village on 16 September.
ICC President Shawn Wright called on Christians to pray for Pastor Tuang’s family, his church and the wider Christian community in Myanmar.
“Following the recent murder of Pastor William and our brother Nam Ceu, this is certainly a concerning trend in Myanmar (Burma)," he said. "We ask Christians in the West to lift up these grieving families in prayer and pray for the Burmese Church to be united and encouraged during the ongoing violence.”
Pastor Tuang’s death follows the reported killing of Rev William and another Chin Christian, Nam Ceu, on 4 June.
Rev William had pastored Chungcung Baptist Church in Chin State for more than 25 years. He and Ceu were arrested in May and had reportedly been detained by the military before their deaths.
The Burma Research Institute reported that sources had linked their deaths to allegations that they supported the Hakha Chinland Defense Force, which is fighting against the military authorities. These allegations have not been independently verified in the information provided by ICC.
The latest killing comes amid wider reports of violence affecting Christian communities and places of worship in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021.
According to ICC, more than 340 churches and Christian-owned buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the military since the coup.
Persecution watchdog Open Doors has said that 149 Christians were killed and 218 imprisoned between 2022 and 2025.
