In a concerning development, prominent Baptist pastor Hkalam Samson, former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention and chairman of the Kachin National Consultative Assembly, was detained by the authorities in Myanmar just hours after being released from prison. Samson had been granted amnesty by the military government, but was taken away by security forces and officials who arrived at his home in the city of Myitkyina at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night. His wife and a member of the Kachin-based Peace-talk Creation Group were also taken to Myitkyina prison. Samson is known for advocating for the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar, and he had previously been detained in December 2022 and handed a six-year prison term in April last year. The detention of Samson highlights the ongoing persecution faced by minority religions, including Christians, since the military takeover in 2021. Kachin guerrillas, who have been actively involved in the resistance movement against military rule, have also been targeted by the authorities. The military government recently announced that former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest due to a heatwave [a2ec2816].