10/17/2018 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Mading Zai Dan Bawm Ying is one of two Kachin youth pastors beaten by members of the Myanmar army-based Border Guard Force (BGF) last July while trying to protect Christian homes from being destroyed.

International Christian Concern (ICC) recently visited Pastor Zai Dan Bawm Ying in Kachin State to discuss what happened that night. Here is his account of the encounter which sheds light on the daily challenges faced by Christians in Kachin State.

A 30-year-old pastor from the Wine Maw district of Sadon Township La Gawn village, Zai Dan Bawm Ying owns a home and rents it to a local family. On July 30, military officials came to his home to inform him of road work they were going to begin. In order to do so, they planned to knock down the drainage along with some of the property beside the kitchen. He was unaware of upcoming road work and reached out to his friend and fellow pastor Saya La Khri to inquire more about the construction. Saya La Khri confirmed that there had been no prior consultation about the project.

As they were speaking in the house, a man who appeared to be a militia leader approached and intended to knock down the drainage. Zai Dan Bawm Ying attempted to negotiate with him, but the official was unwilling to budge, claiming that they do not need permission from anyone. The leader stated, “In this region, for development, the government did nothing, municipal did nothing as well. Since long time ago, we were the only ones who have been doing this job. […] We are the authoritative body here and we are doing it with authorities’ consent.”

The leader asked Zai Dan Bawm Ying not to press further and began to punch him. After the second punch, he tried to defend himself, but the other soldiers came over and joined the beating. The other pastor, Saya La Khri, tried to stop the fight, but was dragged away and beaten as well. Zai Dan Bawm Ying’s wife also came over and tried to convince them to solve the matter peacefully, but she was also struck twice.

Finally, the group stopped beating the pastor, tied his hands up, and brought him to Lu-Nyoun base. Once they arrived at the base, they continued the beating. They beat him so severely that they broke three large bamboo sticks and knocked him unconscious. By 12:30 a.m., the pastor was placed in a cell. His guards were instructed not to let anyone approach him.

At 5:00 p.m. the next day, with his eyes and mouth swollen, he was released from his cell and taken to the Sadon Development office. His request to see his family was denied. Zai Dan Bawm Ying recalled, “They just left me in the car and they went upstairs to have [a] conversation. They informed me after their conversation that this incident had been reported online, therefore they were not letting me go that night.” He spent another night in detention as a result.

The next morning, on August 1, local pastors and church members came to bail him out. Rather than going home, he spent the night in the church office, where he met with fellow colleagues who encouraged him to work on a peaceful disposition of the event. However, Zai Dan Bawm Ying wanted the truth to be revealed. While he was being held captive in the detention center, the military officials had lobbied against him, claiming that the pastors started the fight and they merely reacted to their poor behavior.