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October 2, 2007

‘Avoid violence,’ world's faith leaders urge Myanmar generals

by Ecumenical News International

GENEVA — World faith leaders have called for peace in Myanmar (formerly Burma), urging its military leaders to avoid violence after troops opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators led by Buddhist monks and shut down  Internet communications in the country.

Pope Benedict XVI, speaking at his summer residence on Sept. 30, said he followed events in Myanmar with “great trepidation.” adding, “I wish to express my spiritual closeness to that dear people in this moment of sorrowful difficulty that they are experiencing.

“While guaranteeing them my intense prayer and support, I invite the entire church to do the same and I hope that a peaceful solution can be found for the good of the country,” the Roman Catholic news agency Zenit quoted Pope Benedict as saying.

The head of the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden Archbishop Anders Wejryd, in a letter to the military junta in Myanmar, demanded respect for the tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns who joined demonstrations against the military regime. “They are part of a multi-religious tradition that upholds human life and dignity,” he said.

Religions for Peace, which gathers representatives of many of the world's faiths and in which the Swedish archbishop serves as a leader, urged Myanmar’s ruling generals to show restraint and called on other religions around the world to support Myanmar’s monks.

William F. Vendley, secretary-general of Religions for Peace, urged the military government to “exercise restraint and enter into peaceful dialogue with Myanmar’s religious communities and other groups.”

The monks were “demonstrating the power of religious communities as a force for peace. The world’s religious communities of all faiths must stand with the Buddhist monks of Myanmar in their peaceful protest,” Vendley said.

In Sri Lanka, Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera denounced the shooting of pro-democracy demonstrators.

“As a religious leader, I have to add my voice to the many protests that are being made globally against the repressive and heavy-handed manner in which the government has handled legitimate protests, particularly by the Buddhist monks,” Chickera sais in a letter to the Myanmar ambassador.

The chief executive of the U.S.-based international mission agency of the United Methodist Church, the Rev. Randy Day, in an appeal made on Sept. 29, called for the avoiding of bloodshed and freedom for the people of Myanmar.

“The people of Myanmar are again demanding liberty from a harsh, repressive government. They are being led by courageous Buddhist monks. Again, the government shows signs of responding with deadly force as it did in 1988, when government troops shot 3000 peaceful demonstrators,” said Day.

Norwegian religious and humanist leaders expressed support for Buddhist monks and Myanmar's democracy movement and called on the military junta to establish dialogue

“Violence against the monks and the many who follow them can only lead to more despair among the people and abhorrence all over the world,” a joint statement issued by six Norwegian organizations said.

“The Burmese people stand united in their legitimate demands. Therefore, the junta has everything to lose by continuing its acts of violence, and everything to gain by listening to the unequivocal message of the people,” according to the organizations.

These included the Christian Council of Norway, the Norwegian Humanist Association, the Church of Norway Bishops' Conference, Norwegian Church Aid, the Church of Norway National Council and its Council for Ecumenical and International Affairs.