July 18, 2024
The junta has arrested and is interrogating Reverend Mading Hkaw Bawn of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) from Wu Yang village in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State. Reverend Mading Hkaw Bawn was taken into custody on July 17 around noon.
Sources indicate that the arrest was due to Reverend Bawn recording videos of the junta and People’s Defense Forces using excavators to destroy village roads on July 17. He was reportedly detained for documenting and sharing previous instances of road destruction with media outlets.
As of July 18, there has been no contact with Reverend Bawn. His detention follows a pattern of arrests targeting KBC leaders. Dr. Hkalam Samson, another KBC leader, was sentenced to six years in prison by the junta but was briefly released on April 17 this year, only to be re-arrested the same day and remains in detention.
The situation highlights the continued persecution of religious and community leaders in Myanmar, reflecting the junta’s ongoing crackdown on dissent and attempts to control information.
