Catholic priests and nuns are joining street marches in Myanmar following the shooting of protesters by the police and military outside a Catholic church on March 8.
“Our presence as people of faith, peacemakers, may help [the military] stop the attacks. This is why we are here on the street,” read a statement issued by a group of nuns in Myitkyina, the capital city of Myanmar’s northern Kachin State.
“We ask not to kill. This is why we have turned to the military. We fear that police officers will kill more young demonstrators,” they added in their statement on March 9.
Bishop Francis Daw Tang, retired prelate of the Diocese of Myitkyina, also called on the people, including the military, to end the violence and work for dialogue.
Violence erupted in Myitkyina when soldiers and policemen shot at protesters who were gathering for a demonstration.
At least two demonstrators were reported killed and several others were wounded.
“I want to encourage and request everyone, including the military… We need to work together as one family without blaming anybody. We need to go by dialogue not by force,” said Bishop Tang in a separate statement on March 9.
He said dialogue is the only way to resolve the crisis in the country that started after the military took over the government on Feb. 1 and people launched widespread protests.
“Dialogue and negotiation can bring true peace and justice. If we use any other violent means, the conflict will be endless,” said the prelate.
“I know this because I was born in this land. From my very childhood I have experienced endless fighting, sufferings of people, and dying,” he added.
“I don’t want to see that kind of pain and suffering anymore,” added Bishop Tang.
On March 9, hundreds of people gathered in silence in front of the Catholic Church of St. Columban in the city to offer prayers for the victims of the shooting incident.
“I am retired, but charity does not retire. In this difficult moment for our country, we as Christians are called to offer our contribution of peace, mercy, forgiveness,” Bishop Tang addressed the crowd.
Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng, the nun whose photo trying to prevent police from shooting became viral, also appealed for a stop to the violence.
“We preach and bear witness to evangelical non-violence. Our mission is to announce and live the love of Christ fully, even towards the enemy,” she said.
Myanmar has been in crisis since the army ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in a Feb. 1 coup, detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party and set up a ruling junta of generals.
The military complained of fraud in a November election. The election commission said the vote was fair.
More than 60 people have been killed and some 1,800 people detained in a military crackdown on daily protests against the coup around the southeast Asian nation, an advocacy group has said. Dozens of journalists are among those arrested.
UN fails to agree on Myanmar statement
The UN Security Council failed to agree on March 9 on a statement that would have condemned the coup.
Instead, the global body called for restraint by the military and threatened to consider “further measures,” though diplomats said talks would likely continue.
During an initial bid to finalize the text, China, Russia, India and Vietnam all suggested amendments late on March 9 to a British draft, diplomats said, including removal of the reference to a coup and the threat to consider further action.
Such statements by the 15-member body are agreed by consensus.
The Security Council issued a statement to the press last month voicing concern over the state of emergency imposed by the Myanmar military and calling for the release of all those detained but stopped short of condemning the coup due to opposition from Russia and China.
The draft Security Council statement, seen by Reuters on March 9, called “on the military to exercise utmost restraint, emphasizes that it is following the situation closely, and states its readiness to consider possible further measures.”
An independent UN human rights investigator on Myanmar and New York-based Human Rights Watch have called on the Security Council to impose a global arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions on the junta.
But in an effort to preserve council unity on Myanmar, diplomats said sanctions were unlikely to be considered any time soon as such measures would probably be opposed by China and Russia, who — along with the United States, France and Britain — are council veto powers.
With Reuters
