Religious leaders in Myanmar, including Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Yangon, have issued a statement appealing for peace in the nation amid reports of fresh clashes between ethnic minority armed groups and the Myanmar’s security forces.
Fresh outbreaks of fighting have been recently reported in Kachin and Karen states as well as new outbreaks of religiously motivated violence against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.
Agenzia Fides reports that in the statement, the religious leaders wrote that while their “dreams” for Myanmar “are slowly becoming reality”, the “nightmare of war” continues.
“There are more than 200,000 internally displaced people. New conflicts are added to old ones. The presence of refugees proliferates the human trafficking, the phenomenon of drugs and violence threatens to explode in communities. Internal conflicts have caused chronic suffering to thousands of people, discouraging human development and have caused much animosity.”
“We appeal to all of you, political leaders of the National League for Democracy, the military chiefs, leaders of armed groups, ethnic political parties and civil society groups, to explore a common policy for conflict resolution. We call on all the religious leaders so that they are an instrument of peace. Myanmar needs one religion today: that is peace, it is our common religion. We are brothers and sisters. It is urgent to stop wars and build peace and justice for all.”
