“We need prayers”: another pastor killed in Myanmar violence

Please pray for believers in Chin State, Myanmar, as they reel from the death of another church leader, Pastor Dal Thawn Tuang, and are increasingly gripped by fear amid ongoing violence.

Yet another pastor has been killed in Chin State, Myanmar, along with other citizens who were fleeing gunfire in Tedim township. He is the latest in the growing number of church leaders killed in the violence that erupted after a military coup shattered the nation’s tense peace in 2021. The conflict has exacerbated the persecution already faced by believers in the country, and five years on, Myanmar’s population has felt no relief.

Pastor Dal Thawn Tuang was assistant pastor of Lamzang Baptist Church in Lamzang village, Chin State, one of the regions that has been most affected by the conflict. The details of his death are ambiguous, but the details provided are unsettling: residents report that escaped prisoners of war opened fire on civilians as they ran, while others state that armed groups were responsible for Tuang’s death.

Previously, pastors were afforded a protected status as they travelled across Chin State to minister to communities. Open Doors local partners have met with church leaders in recent years to provide persecution survival training and retreats – and Pastor Dal Thawn Tuang was among those who received this support.

An unfolding pattern

Tragically, Pastor Tuang’s death is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, Reverend William from Chungcung village in Chin State was arrested in May by the military. Rev. William did not resist arrest or flee, believing that his pastoral ID card would protect him. Sadly, he was wrong. He was arrested along with another man named Nam Ceu, and neither have returned to their families since.

Though church leaders appealed to authorities for information concerning their whereabouts, they reportedly received no response. Their families have made the painful conclusion that their loved ones have been killed.

Across conflict-affected regions in Myanmar, a chilling pattern is unfolding: one which points to the growing violence encroaching upon church communities.

In 2021, Pastor Cung Biak Hum was killed in Chin State, along with another pastor named Om Kee.

In 2023, a priest named Saw Radi was killed in Karen State.

In 2025, Pastor Salai Ngwe Kyar was killed, also in Chin State.

Attacks and aid raids are battering the church, whilst legal protection in the face of such vulnerabilities is becoming a rarity. In Chin State, where most residents are Christians and most of the conflict is concentrated, reports military forces using citizens as human shields during operations. Forced conscription is also being applied in areas under military control, separating families and leaving young men and women increasingly vulnerable.

Will you pray?

As violence continues and accountability remains elusive, Christian communities across Myanmar are increasingly concerned for the safety of pastors, church workers and ordinary civilians who find themselves trapped in the conflict – one they did not create.

Win Tin*, a local Open Doors partner, shares, “The situation in Myanmar is not showing signs of improvement and the security situation is dire. Pastors and church leaders are thoroughly checked and interrogated at military checkpoints. We need prayers, encouragement and courage to face the challenges ahead of us.”

*Name changed for security reasons