The Burma Research Institute (BRI) has confirmed that Rev. William and another Chin Christian, Nam Ceu, were extrajudicially murdered on June 4 by the Burmese military dictatorship. 

Rev. William had pastored the Chungcung Baptist Church in Chin state for more than 25 years. He was arrested with Ceu in May and had been detained by the military since then.

Sources told the BRI that Rev. William and Ceu were killed for allegedly supporting the Hakha Chinland Defense Force (CDF), which is fighting against the Burmese military dictatorship.

The BRI also reports that Chungcung village has been regularly and brutally attacked since the military junta took power in 2021, and the Chungcung Baptist Church itself had been destroyed and looted in October 2021. Rev. William is survived by his wife and five children.  

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