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Pope Francis has urged the release of the ousted leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, and offered her refuge in the Vatican.
The Pope’s plea was revealed in a conversation with Jesuits during his trip to Southeast Asia from September 2 to 13. The Italian daily Corriere della Sera published excerpts from these talks on September 24.
“I asked for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, and I met her son in Rome. I have proposed to the Vatican to give her shelter on our territory,” the report says quoting Pope Francis.
Suu Kyi’s Detention and Health Concerns
Aung San Suu Kyi, 78, has been held in custody since the Myanmar military’s 2021 coup, which ended a decade of democratic governance in the country.
She is currently serving a 27-year sentence on charges ranging from corruption to violating COVID-19 restrictions.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been kept largely out of public view, sparking concerns over her well-being.
Local reports have also suggested that her health is deteriorating, though officials have provided little information on her condition.
Pope calls for action in Myanmar
Pope Francis, who visited Myanmar in 2017, spoke out against the ongoing violence in the country.
“We cannot stay silent about the situation in Myanmar today. We must do something!” he said during his conversation with Jesuits.
He also emphasised the need for peace and democracy in the nation.
“The future of your country should be one of peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of everyone and respect for a democratic system that enables everyone to contribute to the common good,” Francis added.
Executions condemned by human rights groups
As Myanmar’s military junta continues its crackdown on opposition, the regime recently executed two pro-democracy activists, Maung Kaung Htet and Chan Myae Thu, for their involvement in a prison bombing in Yangon.
According to the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Myae Thu became the first woman executed since the coup.
“Words of condemnation are no longer sufficient, concrete action is much needed to end the culture of impunity under which the junta operates,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, executive director of FORUM-ASIA.
“Death sentences and executions are not only a punitive response to legitimate resistance but also serve to crush all dissent through terror and fear,” Bacalso added.
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News category: World.
