Pope calls on Myanmar’s junta to allow houses of worship to be neutral places of refuge
- Pope Francis added his voice to an appeal by the Bishops of Myanmar that humanitarian corridors be permitted for those who are displaced and dying of hunger
- Marking World Refugee Day, the pope also called for compassion for migrants and people forced to flee their home
“I join my voice to that of the Bishops of Myanmar, who last week launched an appeal calling the entire world’s attention to the heart-rending experience of thousands of people in that country who are displaced and have been dying of hunger,” the pontiff said in his Angelus prayer.
“We implore with all courtesy that humanitarian corridors be permitted and that churches, pagodas, monasteries, mosques, temples, as well as schools and hospitals be respected as neutral places of refuge,” he said, quoting the bishops.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) government in a February 1 coup.
A brutal crackdown on dissent by the junta has since killed at least 870 civilians, according to a local monitoring group.
The junta has faced a number of appeals to allow safe passage for humanitarian aid.