In his first address to Aung San Suu Kyi and the authorities of the country, Francis did not pronounce the word with which the ethnic group of Islamic religion is called, and hopes for a peace based on the “rule of law” and a democratic order that would allow everyone, “none excluded to offer its legitimate contribution to the common good”.
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He never utters the word Rohingya, the ethnic group of Islamic religion that lives in Myanmar and has been subjected to discrimination and persecution. But the reference in his words is clear. Pope Francis spoke to the authorities of Myanmar in the large auditorium of the International Convention Centre, in the new capital of the country, Nay Pyi Taw. Listening to him are the State Councilor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, members of the Government of Burma/Myanmar and the diplomatic corps. The local Catholic Church had asked the Pontiff not to name the Rohingya in his speech, so as not to provoke new violent reactions in a country with a still very fragile democracy, where the military still have a great influence. Francis accepted the request, but without renouncing a clear appeal in defense of minorities.
In her greeting speech, Aung San Suu Kyi talks about the territory in which the Rohingya live, without ever naming them. “Of the many challenges that our government has been facing, the situation in the Rakhine has most strongly captured the attention of the world. As we address long standing issues, social, economic and political, that have eroded trust and understanding, harmony and cooperation, between different communities in Rakhine, the support of our people and of good friends who only wish to see us succeed in our endeavors, has been invaluable. Your Holiness, the gifts of compassion and encouragement that you bring to us will be treasured and we take to heart your words in the message of the celebration of the fiftieth World Day of Peace on 1st January 2017”
In his speech, Pope Bergoglio says, “ I would also like my visit to embrace the entire population of Myanmar and to offer a word of encouragement to all those who are working to build a just, reconciled and inclusive social order”. And, after mentioning the beauty and natural resources of the country, he recalls that the people of Myanmar “have suffered greatly, and continue to suffer, from civil conflict and hostilities that have lasted all too long and created deep divisions”.
The nation, Francis continues, “now works to restore peace” and therefore “ the healing of those wounds must be a paramount political and spiritual priority”. The Pope mentions the efforts of the government and the Panglong Peace Conference, “which brings together representatives of the various groups in an attempt to end violence, to build trust and to ensure respect for the rights of all who call this land their home.”
He then recalls that peace and reconciliation can “only advance through a commitment to justice and respect for human rights.” And “to resolve conflicts through dialogue, not the use of force “. The future of Myanmar - the Pope adds - must be “peace, a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic, group and its identity, respect for the rule of law, and respect for a democratic order that enables each individual and every group – none excluded – to offer its legitimate contribution to the common good.”
According to the United Nations, the Rohingya, an ethnic group of Islamic religion living in Myanmar, are among the most persecuted religious minorities in the world. In 600,000 have had to flee from the state of Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh, and in the next few days, during one of the appointments on the agenda in the second stage of his Asian journey, Francis will meet a delegation. But another 400,000 internally displaced persons also live in Burma/Myanmar. They belong to the Kachin, Karen, Chin, and Shan ethnic groups: and even though they are less considered by the international media, they are also discriminated against and live in situations of tension with the army. The 120,000 displaced Kachin people are mainly Christians and have been in refugee camps for over six years.
Religious differences - Bergoglio explains speaking to the authorities of Myanmar - need not be a source of division and distrust, but rather a force for unity, forgiveness, tolerance and wise nationbuilding. The religions can play a significant role in repairing the emotional, spiritual and psychological wounds of those who have suffered in the years of conflict.” But despite the discrimination and persecution perpetrated by the Buddhist nationalists against this Islamic minority, there are also positive signs. For the Pope “It is a great sign of hope that leaders of the various religious traditions in this country are making efforts to work together, in a spirit of harmony and mutual respect, for peace, for helping the poor and for educating in authentic religious and human values.”
Finally, Francis recalled the importance of the formation of young people, “not only in technical fields, but above all in the ethical values of honesty, integrity and human solidarity that can ensure the consolidation of democracy and the growth of unity and peace at every level of society”. And likewise, “intergenerational justice “demands that future generations inherit a natural environment unspoilt by human greed and depredation”.
For the Pope, who arrived yesterday in what had been the capital until 2005, Yangon, the first day of public appointments in Myanmar began in the presidential palace of Nay Pyi Taw, a large complex built twelve years ago, along with the transfer of the new capital. A real fortress with white walls in neoclassical style, surrounded by a wide moat that one can cross thanks to a series of long bridges separated from each other to make it safer in the event of attacks. An image that describes more than a thousand words, the fragility of the young Burmese democracy.
Francis was first received by the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Htin Kyaw, son of a well-known poet, and then in the hall of the diplomatic corps, he met the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, founder of the National League for Democracy inspired by the non-violence of Gandhi, who for fifteen years was sentenced to house arrest by the military regime.
