VATICAN CITY, KOMPAS.TV – Pope Francis on Wednesday (17/3/2021) called for an end to the bloodshed in Myanmar and a dialogue to begin. Pope Francis also declared a symbolic kneeling on the streets of Myanmar, where protests against the military junta are continuing and the death toll is growing.
At the end of his traditional public comments for the faithful around the world, Pope Francis expressed concern over the critical situation in Myanmar. “Once again, and with so much sorrow, I feel the need to stir up a dramatic situation in Myanmar, where so many people, especially young people, have lost their lives to offer hope for their country,” Pope Francis said as quoted from Associated Press, Wednesday (17/3/2021).
Referring to a photo of a nun kneeling on the street in front of a line of Myanmar officials, Pope Francis stated, “I also kneel on the streets of Myanmar and declare: may the violence stop soon; I too, with my arms wide open, declare: may the dialogue prevail. “
Also Read: Crying Sisters in Myanmar on their knees begging the police not to arrest demonstrators
“(The bloodshed) does not solve anything, hopefully the dialogue is victorious,” said Pope Francis conveying his appeal from the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.
To date, the number of demonstrators killed since the coup ousted elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi has surpassed 200, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The coup launched by the Myanmar military represents a major setback for progress towards democracy in Myanmar which is indeed progressing slowly.
– .
