Pope Francis appealed on Wednesday for an end to bloodshed in Myanmar, saying: “Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say ‘stop the violence”. Francis made the appeal, his latest since a Feb. 1 coup, at the end of his weekly general audience, held remotely from the Vatican library because of COVID-19 restrictions. More than 180 protesters have been killed as security forces try to crush a wave of demonstrations.
“One more time and with much sadness I feel the urgency to talk about the dramatic situation in Myanmar, where many people, most of them young, are losing their lives in order to offer hope to their country,” he said.
In language symbolising what protesters have done, Francis said: “Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say ‘stop the violence.’ Even I open my arms and say ‘Let dialogue prevail’. Francis, who visited Myanmar in 2017, said: “Blood does not resolve anything. Dialogue must prevail.
Meanwhile, a UN team of investigators in Myanmar appealed on Wednesday for people to collect and preserve documentary evidence of crimes ordered by the military since the February 1 coup in order to build cases against its leaders.
“The persons most responsible for the most serious international crimes are usually those in high leadership positions,” Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the Geneva-based U.N. team, said in a statement.
“They are not the ones who physically perpetrate the crimes and often are not even present at the locations where the crimes are committed. To prove their responsibility requires evidence of reports received, orders given and how policies were set.
People with such information should contact the investigators through secure means of communication, he added, citing apps such as Signal or a ProtonMail account.
In other news – Rhythm City actor Mduduzi Mabaso Bags New TV Gig
Actor Mduduzi Mabaso has scored himself a new TV gig.
The talented actor will be part of the new Mzansi Magic telenovela Diep City, set to replace Isibaya. He’ll be playing the role of low-level gangster Elliot. Learn more
Source: sabcnews
