Murder of Baptist pastor in Myanmar brings new attention to ‘under-reported’ war
Actress Phone Thiri Kyaw joins a 2021 protest in Yangon, Myanmar. (Unpslash photo by Saw Wunna)
The fatal shooting of a Baptist pastor in Myanmar reflects an upsurge of civil war violence targeting Christians, Muslims, and other religious and ethnic minorities.
Outrage over the March 18 killing of Nammye Hkun Jaw Li comes at a time of rising global diplomatic and economic pressure on the Tatmadaw military junta to cease its oppression of Baptist Christians, Rohingya Muslims, and other groups.
As of February, the United Nations estimated at least 50,000 people had died since the military’s 2021 coup sparked civil war in Myanmar, which the United States and many others continue to call by its historic name, Burma. The conflict has internally displaced more than 2.7 million and forced about 59,000 to seek safety in neighboring countries.
