Yangon: Myanmar’s first cardinal has appealed to its rulers to reach out to its suffering people through dialogue. “I appeal today to the leaders of Myanmar to put away guns and violence and to reach out in dialogue with all communities in Myanmar – of every race and religion – to seek a peaceful, political resolution to decades of conflict and to begin a new process of peace, justice, truth, and reconciliation,” Cardinal Charles Bo said in a heart wrenching letter to the country’s military rulers.
The letter, released on December 1, also appealed to the international community “to keep in mind the well-being of all the peoples of Myanmar as it considers what measures to take in pursuit of justice.” The Salesian cardinal, who heads the Church in Myanmar, is also the president of the Federation of Asian Catholic Bishops’ Conferences.
The 72-year-old archbishop of Yangon, who visited northeastern India in November, spelt out his concerns saying, “In particular, I urge the international community that in their effort to hold those responsible for crimes against humanity accountable, they do not inadvertently penalize those who are not responsible, and do not punish the people of Myanmar as a whole, who in the past seven years have seen their country take tentative, fragile steps towards opening up to the world.”
He further said, “I appeal to the international community to be careful not to adopt measures which could hurt the poorest. I encourage the international community to focus their efforts in a targeted way on those directly responsible for perpetrating grave violations of human rights and gross injustices.”
The date of the letter also marked the first day of Church’s liturgical calendar and the first Sunday of Advent, the season of hope ushering in the birth of Jesus. The cardinal reminded all that it is his duty as a priest to speak out for the poor and the marginalized and especially the voiceless. MattersIndia.com
