ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - The Archbishop of Seoul and the Church in Korea alongside the youth of Myanmar

Tuesday, 23 March 2021 violence youth democracy solidarity human rights

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

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Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - "We will stand by the people of Myanmar until they achieve full democracy". This is what Cardinal André Yeom Soo-jung, Archbishop of Seoul, said when meeting in recent days the students and workers from Myanmar residing in Korea, encouraging the movement for democracy.
As reported to Fides by the Communications Office of the Archdiocese of Seoul, in the meeting, Cardinal Yeom assured help and real solidarity towards the Burmese people in this difficult phase of national history.
One of the Burmese students, with the Korean name Han Soo-min, vividly described the current situation in Myanmar saying that "in reality it is much worse than the media report".
The military junta cut off the internet connection on mobile phones across the country and deployed new troops across the country to fiercely quell the protests. "Since the junta declared martial law in Hlaing Tharyar and other districts of Yangon, the military began to open fire on people without warning. Despite the escalation of violence by the military, we, the people of Myanmar, consider the democracy movement the last chance for us to see democracy come true in our generation", concluded Han.
Another student added: "I believe that the current situation in Myanmar is not just an internal issue but a global issue that deserves immediate attention and support from the international community. This is why I am here today, as a citizen of Myanmar, to raise awareness on the issue and ask for your support for the peaceful resistance in Myanmar".
Cardinal Yeom, in response to these messages, showed deep empathy to all the people present in Myanmar, noting that South Korea has faced similar challenges and problems in the past.
The Cardinal concluded the meeting by encouraging young people with Pope Francis' speech to the leaders of various religions in the plain of Ur, Iraq, on March 6, 2021: "Peace does not demand winners or losers, but rather brothers and sisters who, for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past, are journeying from conflict to unity". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 23/3/2021)