Pope Francis today called for an end to the bloodshed in Myanmar, saying: “I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say ‘stop the violence’».
Francis made the appeal, the most recent since the February 1 coup, at the end of his weekly general hearing, which took place remotely from the Vatican Library due to restrictions due to the COVID-19.
At least 180 protesters have been killed as security forces try to crush a wave of protests after the junta seized power in this Southeast Asian country, as reported by AMPE, citing the activist organization Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
“Once again and with great sadness I feel the urgent need to talk about the dramatic situation in Myanmar, where many people, most of them young, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country,” he said.
Using symbolic language for the protesters’ actions, Francis said: “I kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say ‘stop the violence’. I open my arms and say ‘Let the dialogue prevail’ “.
THE Φραγκίσκος, who visited Myanmar in 2017, said: “Blood does not solve anything. “Dialogue must prevail.”
Meanwhile, a team of researchers UN for Myanmar today called on citizens to gather and retain evidence of crimes ordered by the military after the February 1 coup, in order to substantiate future cases against their leaders.
“The people most responsible for the most serious international crimes are usually those in high leadership positions,” Nicholas Koumdjian, head of the UN-based group in Geneva, said in a statement.
“They are not the natural perpetrators of the crimes and they are often not even present in the places where the crimes are committed.
“In order to prove that they are responsible, information is required on reports received, orders given and how policies were decided.”
Citizens with such information can reach out to researchers through secure means of communication, he added, citing applications such as Signal or a ProtonMail account.
A junta spokesman did not respond to Reuters phone calls for comment. Yesterday, Tuesday, the UN Office for Human Rights condemned the use of live ammunition against protesters.
“They are completely out of control and are becoming more and more brutal every day. “It’s a calculated escalation of brutality,” a senior UN official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
THE Myanmar is in turmoil after the military overthrew the Nobel Peace Prize-winning government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, arresting her and her party officials and provoking condemnation from the international community.
UN investigators are gathering evidence of the use of deadly violence, illegal arrests, torture and detention of people whose families have not been informed of their whereabouts, the statement said.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar was set up by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 to gather evidence of the most serious crimes. It intends to establish case files for prosecution in national, regional and international courts.
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