Card. Charles Bo is one of the few showing the world the military’s harsh repression of protesters in Myanmar. The protests broke out after the military coup on Feb. 1 that removed Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi from power.
This is one of the most striking images the cardinal has shared. The nun is Ann Rosa Nu Tawn. She begged the police to stop the attack against protesters on what would become one of the bloodiest days. Her courageous action is one of the images of the protests in Myanmar.
The country is in a state of collapse. The confrontations have claimed the lives of about 18 people and left another 30 or so injured, according to the UN’s Human Rights Office. More than 1,000 people have been arrested. The police and the military have been using tear gas, fire and rubber bullets to stop the protests.
“This is not the movie scene. This is reality in Myanmar today,” said the archbishop of Yangon, Card. Charles Bo, on social media. His words against the military are very harsh: “They are young people fighting against the most brutal military dictatorship.” The cardinal has been using social media to urgently ask for help and peace, but there aren’t any signs that the situation will improve any time soon in the country Pope Francis visited at the end of 2017.
Javier Romero
