In Mindat Township, Chin State, a clergyman and three deacons were arrested, tortured, and ultimately killed by Military Council troops, according to a report by an official of the Mindat People’s Administrative Team.

Ko Yaw Man, an official of the Mindat People’s Administrative Team told Khonumthung News, "Families searched for their loved ones, but the soldiers claimed they were still being questioned. Later the soldiers denied any arrests, leaving us to believe the detainees were tortured and killed. Nearby residents heard cries of pain. When families asked for the bodies the soldiers refused, leaving us with the grim assumption that they were all dead. ”

These church elders were arrested, and killed by soldiers from the 274th Light Infantry Battalion of the Military Council stationed in Mindat.

On July 16th, the clergyman and three deacons were arrested by drunken soldiers in front of a Christian church compound. The soldiers claimed they were suspicious of so many motorcycles parked in front of a war refugee camp within a Christian church compound, located west of Mindat.

Indeed these religious leaders play a crucial role in assisting war-displaced individuals seeking refuge in Mindat. They actively facilitate and provide accommodation for those in need during these difficult times.

On July 26th, when family members made a second inquiry, ten days after their arrest, the soldiers who detained their loved ones denied having any knowledge about the situation. On July 27th, the Mindat People's Administrative Team released a statement strongly condemning the actions of the Military  Council for arresting and killing a clergyman and three deacons.

The Mindat People's Administrative Team urges the people of Mindat to “fully comprehend the cruel reality of the Junta’s barbaric crimes, and to persist in their active participation in the revolution.

Khonumthung News has been unable to fully verify the claim that the religious elders were arrested and killed by the soldiers.