Buddhist Youths Attacked Chin Christians in Chin State
28 May 2012: Nine local Buddhist youths interrupted a Christian service and physically attacked worshipers in Nga-Shaung (Ng’ Ghong) village, Mindat Township of Chin State last Wednesday.
The Chin Buddhists entered Pu Kee Law’s house ‘uninvited’ where a worship service was held around 8pm at night by members of the Gospel Baptist Church (GBC), violently beating up the Christian leaders including Rev. Ling Thang, Rev. Ling Tam and Saya Mnai Ling.
One of the local Christian leaders, who eye-witnessed the incident, said: “The Buddhist youths came into Pu Kee Law’s house suddenly and ordered the worship service to stop. Then, they started attacking the worship leaders.”
“Some [Buddhist youths] grabbed Rev. Ling Thang’s hairs, shook his head and punched him all over his body while others kicked Saya Mnai Ling, music leader. They hit and broke the guitar into pieces,” added the Christian leader.
Rev. Ling Thang, who is in his 50s, got minor head injuries while the 22 year-old Christian music leader was said to have his nose broken and bleeding in an unprovoked attack.
The nine Buddhist youths led by Pu Mnai Khui Shing pointed their fingers at the Christian leader, saying: “You, Christians, said your God can save you, where is your God to save you now? We do not want Christians in this village. You all Christians get out of this village.”
Pu Kee Law was threatened to lock his house and get out of the village by Pu Mnai Khui Shing during the incident, according to an eye-witness.
The 40-year-old house owner reported details of what had happened during the Christian worship service to the Mindat Police Station on 25 May 2012.
Since last Saturday, three police officers have been assigned to start hunting down the nine Chin Buddhists in Nga-Shaung village and its surrounding areas.
Buddhist leader Mnai Khui Shing has been accused of repeatedly throwing verbal abuses against local Christians and harassing some Christian family members in the past, according to local sources.
One of the Chin Christian government employees said: “What had happened at the house of Pu Kee Law was unfair and discriminatory. He wants justice and reported the case to the police. As Burma has been claimed as a democratic country now, there must be freedom of worship.”
The Buddhist attackers include Pu Mnai Khui Shing, a married man in his 30s, Naing Thang, Thang Ha Om, Khui Shing Mang, Ha Thang and Khui Shing Ling in their 20s, and three teenagers, Mnai Khawlam, Om Hning and Kee Thung.
Pu Mnai Khui Shing has been claimed to have intentionally recruited the other eight Buddhists to disrupt the worship service and commit violent assaults against Chin Christian worshipers.
The fresh physical attack against Chin Christians took place while Rev. Ling Tam, a guest speaker, was preaching at a night worship service to a congregation of 15 Christian believers.
Cho-Chin village, Nga-Shaung, in southern parts of Chin State is comprised of 92 households in two blocks, the old Nga-Shaung and the new Nga-Shaung (Mading or Mdüng) with 5 Christian families. The rest of the villagers are Animists and Buddhists with a Buddhist monk from Naungcho Town of Shan State working as their missionary since late 2011.
Reporting by Jeremy Hoipang
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