Stand by Bangladesh

[Banglar Bir]

12:00 AM, December 01, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:12 AM, December 01, 2017
Stand by Bangladesh
Pope calls for decisive actions from int'l community to end Rohingya crisis; lauds Bangladesh's role in helping refugees

A child presents a flower bouquet to Pope Francis as President Abdul Hamid receives him. The Pope arrived yesterday on a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines which landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2:45pm from Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: PID
Agencies

Pope Francis yesterday called for "decisive" international action on the Rohingya refugee crisis as he began a visit to Bangladesh, where more than 620,000 of the Muslim minority have sought sanctuary after fleeing violence in Myanmar.

The pope made the comment in a speech shortly after arriving from Myanmar, where he walked a diplomatic tightrope, staying away from allegations that the army is waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, despite pressure to publicly confront the incendiary issue, reports AFP.

"None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," he said.

"It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs," the pope told Bangladeshi dignitaries and diplomats.

He praised Bangladesh for taking in the mass exodus across the border into overcrowded makeshift camps since a fresh outbreak of violence in Rakhine state in late August.

But as in Myanmar, he refrained from using the word "Rohingya", instead referring to "refugees from Rakhine state".

Pope Francis had been urged not to use the name in Myanmar to avoid provoking hardline Buddhists and making the country's Catholics a target.

At a private talk with the pontiff later in the evening, President Abdul Hamid sought his help in sending back the displaced Rohingya to their homeland and keeping up the pressure on Myanmar to resolve the protracted crisis, reports UNB.

"During the meeting, the president categorically sought Pope's active role so that different countries and the international community put pressure on the Myanmar government to settle the issue," President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin later told journalists.

Francis -- the first pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years -- will spend three days in the mainly-Muslim country, which is grappling with a rise in Islamist extremism that has seen Catholics attacked for their faith, AFP added.

In Dhaka, he will meet some of the Rohingya refugees, whom he has described as his "brothers and sisters", and lead a mass for Bangladesh's tiny Catholic minority.

DILEMMA
Myanmar's government denies the Rohingya are an ethnic group, insisting they are "Bengali" migrants who are not entitled to full citizenship.

The Vatican has rejected suggestions that the pope's reticence to tackle the Rohingya crisis head-on represented a failure of moral leadership.

"He seemed to comprehend the dilemma he faced," David Mathieson, a Yangon-based analyst, told AFP, applauding the Catholic leader's diplomatic dexterity in a country where the army retains great power.

"He is the pope, not a pugilist... he was here to help the country work through this horrific humanitarian crisis and listen to both the civilian and military leadership."

The pontiff was warmly embraced by Myanmar's Catholics, who make up just over one percent of the population.

Today he will lead a mass at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital that is expected to be attended by around 100,000 people.

Bangladesh's Catholics make up less than 0.5 percent of the population of 160 million and have for centuries lived in relative harmony with their Muslim neighbours.

But there has been a rise in Islamist attacks in recent years targeting religious minorities, foreigners and secular figures.

The papal visit comes days after the disappearance of a Catholic priest in the same village where suspected Islamist extremists hacked a Catholic grocer to death last year.

Walter William Rosario, 40, had been making arrangements for some 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka for the pope's mass.

Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on militant groups.

Tens of thousands of Catholics have travelled to the capital hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, who is to travel to the park for Friday's mass on a traditional cycle rickshaw.

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff has established a reputation for his down-to-earth manner, vowing to stamp out extravagance among the clergy and bring the Catholic Church closer to the poor.
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/myanmar-rohingya-refugee-crisis-take-decisive-measures-1498810

 

[mb444]

Popes support is somewhat irrelevant....

But he is off course welcome never the less

 

[bluesky]

It was a double posting on Pope visit. So, deleted.

Popes support is somewhat irrelevant....

But he is off course welcome never the less

No, Pope's support is very relevant. Do not think that he is powerless because he is a Pope. All the leaders of Christian world tries to understand the meaning when he says something.

 

[Banglar Bir]

12:00 AM, November 30, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:23 AM, November 30, 2017
On the margins of ruin: War and displacement

Life and living on the margins of history has not erased the delicate beauty and resilience of the Rohingya woman. PHOTO: AFP
Rebecca Haque
Not history alone, not literature alone, but my own considerable life experience has convinced me that the world is Manichean, and tragically will forever remain so. Evil has many faces, and man's expulsion from the garden of Eden has tainted the earth with blood spilt in lust and vengeance and vicious hunger for conquest of acres and acres of rich, fertile ground.

Cyclically, mighty civilisations have flourished on the banks of mighty rivers and have perished at the hands of marauding tribes and invading armies, and those same great rivers have overflowed with human blood and carcass. Cain's act and bequest of brother against brother, his murder of Abel, is the original fable of the curse of evil lurking within each human soul.

The mortal frame is a divided box, with opposing, warring desires of the flesh and the spirit, of the mind and the heart, and most unfortunately, yet most powerfully and crucially for the survival of entire civilisations, cultures, and tribes of peoples, the mortal self is itself a complex, convoluted, conflicted unit of light and shadow, of good and evil.

As a child, I have stood many a time on the steps and plinths of the majestic ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harappa, while my love of history books ignited my imagination to fill the emptiness of the rooms and the courtyards and the granaries and the bathhouses and the adjoining fields with living, breathing men, women, and children.

Even my dreams were peopled by sunburnt folk wrapped in white homespun cotton garments. The Indian sub-continent is my geographical space, and I carry my Aryan-Dravidian colour and shape to the Occident and the Orient with pride. Bengal is my birthplace; with my roots firmly attached to the alluvial soil of the Gangetic Plains, I too am the inheritor of a rich culture layered with trajectories of centuries of settlements by Persian and Greek and Arab and Portuguese and Dutch and British voyagers, traders, conquerors.

The bloodlines of the Bengali woman meet all cultures and languages, from the Greco-Roman to the Arabic, from the Hispanic to the Indic, from the Runic to the Hieroglyphic. The profile of the Bengali woman eludes the Cubist frame of Picasso: she is multi ethnic, multi dimensional. A racial chameleon, made from clay and terra cotta, Gandhara, Harappa, and Mohenjodaro.

The Rohingya is my sister as much as the Nubian and the Sumerian. Life and living on the margins of history has not erased the delicate beauty and resilience of the Rohingya woman. Displaced by colonial power two hundred years ago, by the same arm of Empire which divided Bengal not once but twice for its own mercantile gain, the Rohingya flowered across the flowing river and the fluid border beyond the boundary of my native East Bengal.

Now, with evil intent and murder disguised in saffron robes and blood rites, the banks of the Naf are deluged sticky-red with desperate, displaced, ruined shards of humanity. Raped, battered, without her man, embracing the old and the sick and the infant, my sister grabs my shore and begs for help. How can I forsake her, my heart cries, even as it cries at my own inability to actively change her destiny.

In the city of the golden pagodas, the “pure Bamar” sits, complacent and contemptuous of our mixed race and wheatish/brown colour. Long months of placid denial of burning and butchering of Rohingya people by the ruling Burman. Long, arduous months of rescuing and sheltering and feeding the hundreds of thousands of refugees swarming into Cox's Bazaar.

We Bangladeshi Bengalis are universally admired for our hospitality; even the poorest landless labourer is a gracious host and will happily share a meal with the starving. The inexorable forces of Nature and the peculiar contours of geography have often made my precious motherland prey to yearly denudation by flood or furious cyclone.

Millions have migrated to other lands and are contributing to the economy of their adopted countries. Millions more, men and women, are struggling alone in distant lands to feed their own families back home in cities and towns and villages scattered across this tiny Bangladesh. The spirit of survival, of the continuity of family and lineage, is strong and unyielding in the heart of the Bangladeshi woman.

Education and equal opportunity for employment in all spheres of professional and vocational work have made us confident. Innately intelligent, inheritors of a centuries-old rich, diverse tradition of arts and culture, song and dance, many Bangladeshi women are leaders and role-models in these times of war and displacement. Succeeding generations of highly educated and dynamic Bangladeshis have won global recognition and accolades through individual achievements.

Significantly, despite the conservative patriarchal attitude of some menfolk, there has been a fundamental reconfiguration of the ancient system of power and gender-relationship from those dark days when Bengali women were tithed in feudal bondage and deprived of the written word. While the struggle continues for those still on the margins of economic parity and social security, for those ruined by violence, for those subjugated by egregious dogma and perverted edict, I admire the efforts of enlightened fathers and brothers and spouses to fight for just rights of the Bangladeshi woman.

Today, as we house and clothe and feed and succour the ruined, forlorn Rohingya, I cannot but feel anxious for our own swiftly depleting resources. The supercilious Bamar has recently, grudgingly, bowed to international pressure for cessation of violence, but expedient political and economic affiliations of superpower nations have in turn forced us into a dubious “repatriation” treaty.

Now, at the risk of undermining our own national security, the onus is upon us to bear the brunt of keeping the Rohingya in Bangladesh, in refugee camps, for years, perhaps decades, perhaps permanently.

The real danger of Rohingya women disappearing inside the dark labyrinth of human trafficking and prostitution is already happening, as verbal and social media messages have indicated. Soon, verifiable statistics will also be available as women's rights activists begin to monitor the situation. Stateless, without a country or national identity or home or a patch of land to call their own, the Rohingya are mostly seen as expendable by the rest of the world.

In contrast, tragically, the Rohingya woman and girl-child, neglected, illiterate, displaced, war-ravaged, but comely of appearance, is apparently seen as profitable commercial commodity by the criminal underworld.

My mind grapples with the horrific proportions of this problem, which has insidiously stretched its tentacles into our public and private spaces. Secret encroachment into our urban and rural spaces and stealing our Bangladeshi identity bring commensurate backlash of anger and rejection directed at the Rohingya.

The perplexing moral dimensions of this problem remind me of the desert fable of the nomad, the camel, and the tent. Apropos with regard to the Rohingya–Bangladeshi–Bengali situation, I look at the photogenic face of the bereft, weeping Rohingya woman, and I think to myself, will I one day become unhoused, naked and defenceless, by offering a bit of space in a gesture of goodwill?
Rebecca Haque is a professor in the Department of English at University of Dhaka.
http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/perspective/the-margins-ruin-war-and-displacement-1498225

Pope’s peace and reconciliation mission to Myanmar
Larry Jagan, November 28, 2017

Thousands of people have lined the streets of Yangon to greet Pope Francis as he arrived in what is a momentous moment for Myanmar. The crowds were waving specially made flags which all carried the Pontiff’s key message on his mission: ‘love and peace’.
The mood is subdued for fear of antagonizing the country’s majority Buddhist population. Everyone knows though that the Pope – effectively the leader of the world’s Christian community is visiting Myanmar.

There are mixed feelings amongst the average people – all Buddhists – as they go about their business. “He’s a man of peace, he represents peace world-wide and preaches peace,” said Win Lwin a 40-year-old taxi driver, a strong supporter of the prodemocracy party and a Buddhist. “Peace is what out country needs most,” he added. Others are more disinterested. “It’s great for the Catholics and Christians,” said a young Yangon student, Nay Aye. “But it won’t affect us.”

However in recent days there has been a vicious campaign in the country’s social media – in the Myanmar language – that remains hostile to his visit, accusing him of stirring religious tensions in the country. But the government remains convinced that the trip can only help its campaign for peace and reconciliation.
Also Read: Why did Pope Francis drop India for Myanmar?

Pope Francis is the world’s most senior religious leader and is on a delicate diplomatic visit. It is the first visit by a Papal leader to Myanmar, and has raised expectations that is presence and message will support the government’s approach and strategy. “The Pope is a unifying figure, preaching compassion, love and peace and his visit comes at a decisive moment,” Denzel Abel, a Myanmar intellectual, former diplomat and a Catholic told the SAM. “He has a charismatic presence, and will certainly galvanize people.

Many hope he can help spur support for Aung San Suu Kyi at a very critical time for her government. Violence in the country’s western region of Northern Rakhine has led to more than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing across the border into neighboring Bangladesh in the wake of a military crackdown that Washington has called “ethnic cleansing”.

International human rights groups have accused the Myanmar army of “crimes against humanity”: including murder, rape, torture and forcible dislocation; allegations that the Myanmar military denies. These groups are hoping that the Pope will be able to highlight the plight of the Rohingya during his combined visit to both Myanmar and Bangladesh, which ends in Dhaka next Saturday. They are also pushing him to try to end the deadly violence against the largely stateless Muslims.

There have been concerns that the religious leader might use the highly contentious term ‘Rohingya’. It is not recognized by the authorities, who insist they are ‘Bengalis’, to indicate they are from Myanmar but trespassers from Bangladesh. The Pope has called them Rohingya in the past, when he urged the Myanmar authorities to end to the violent persecution of the minority Muslim population. But he is likely to avoid the term on this visit, according to sources close to the Vatican.

“We have asked him at least to refrain from using the word ‘Rohingya’ because this word is very much contested and not acceptable to the military, nor the government, nor to most people in Myanmar,” the Catholic Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Bo told the Bangkok Post in an interview last week, after he had returned from Rome, where he briefed the Pope.
Also Read: Hindu groups raise conversion controversy ahead of pope’s Asia visit

The symbolism of the visit is important and the poster welcoming Pipe Francis is highly significant, suggested Denzil Abel. On one side there is Myanmar’s flag and on the other the Pope holding a dove – the international symbol of peace – under the slogan ‘love and peace’. In a video message sent to Myanmar last week, Pope Francis said he wanted the trip to lead to “reconciliation, forgiveness and peace” as well as encourage harmony and cooperation.

The Pope is the second most important leader to visit Myanmar, according to many diplomats in Yangon, after the President of the United States. “The Pope is one of the most respected moral voices in the world today, and therefore his visit is even more significant, coming as it does when Myanmar faces so many problems” said Denzil Abel.

Christianity in Myanmar is over 500 years old, and the Pope’s visit, according to many in the Catholic flock will strengthen recognition and understanding of the institution. It will show the shared Christian and Buddhist’s vision of compassion, he added.

The visit is also highly significant as it comes at a time when Aung San Suu Kyi and her government are facing increasing international pressure to resolve the communal conflict in Rakhine, end the violence and tackle the plight of the Muslim refugees. She has pinned her hopes of a solution on the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission, announced at the end of August, after a year-long investigation.

But immediately after the announcement, increased violence erupted, as a result of insurgent attacks on some thirty police border posts. Now the government is faced with the task of repatriating over half a million refugees from Bangladesh, rebuilding their homes and trying to improve communal relations, between the local Buddhist Arakanese and the Rohingya Muslims. The reconciliation strategy envisaged by the State Counselor, was announced when she launched the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine, which she chairs herself.

As part of this strategy – and in an effort to stimulate support in the country for government’s Rakhine reconstruction and reconciliation process – Aung San Suu Kyi launched a series of inter-faith meetings throughout the country. These prayer meetings for peace were held during October, initially with the Buddhist monks participating. At the meeting in Yangon, the country’s Catholic leader played a prominent role. Through these, Aung San Suu Kyi hoped not only to improve the situation in Rakhine, but strengthen the whole peace process, according to government insiders.

In her public address to the whole nation, she emphasized Buddhist values. “I have no doubt that all of them [the people of Myanmar here and abroad] will come forth to help us with Metta (loving kindness) and Thitsa (Truth).” The aim was to mobilize the nation behind the Buddhist tenets of love and kindness, and to wrestle Buddhism out of the hands of extremists, according to an advisor involved in the speech.

But the military, and the Buddhist clergy, may have misunderstood this approach. “She looks like she wants to promote other religions above Buddhism,” a former senior military officer reflected.

And the leaders of the Buddhist faith have taken umbrage, at what they saw as a slight against the monks who participate in the ceremonies. Monks were not on present on the stage, but sat at the front near the stage, which was seen as a sign of disrespect. Recently the 47-member Ma Ha Na – the highest official Buddhist authority in the country – recently banned monks from participating in all future interfaith gatherings. This was to prevent this unintended snub enflaming the passions of Buddhists, a devout Buddhist explained to me.
Also Read: High hopes and expectations over pope’s visit to Bangladesh

“Aung San Suu Kyi – as will Pope during his visit – is promoting harmony, love and peace: the appreciation of diversity, and focusing on conciliation,” said Cardinal Bo. Fears that the Pope may inadvertently enflame religious tensions seem to be misplaced. “The Pope doesn’t want to anger any community, and is concerned not to divide or polarize,” Cardinal Bo added. “This would not help the situation: this is not the solution.”

But not all Myanmar Christians are as enthusiastic as the Archbishop in his support fot Myanmar’s civilian leader. “This over enthusiastic support could cause divisions within the wider Christian community — especially the Baptist communities like the Kachin, whose support for Aung San Suu Kyi is at its lowest ever point, given her perceived neglect and indifference to their suffering and persecution,” Seng Raw, a Kachin activist and civil society leader told SAM. “In short it does not support the peace process.”

This is not a view shared by most Catholics who strongly believe that the Pope’s visit will have a positive affect, with its emphasis on unity. This is the reason he is also meeting the army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing – at Cardinal Bo’s suggestion. But Seng Raw also hopes that “Pope Francis’s clear moral leadership — that is lacking in the leaders of this country – will inspire everyone to be more compassionate.”

Aung San Suu is meeting his holiness when he flies to the capital Nayyidaw. This is the second time the two have met. Aung San Suu Kyi at earlier in the year, at which time she invited him to visit. After near two decades of trying, diplomatic relations were established between the Vatican and Myanmar in May this year. The Pope it is understood was anxious to strengthen their ties with a personal visit. But one, which shows his commitment to peace and the plight of the poor, Cardinal Bo told SAM.

There is no doubt that Aung San Suu Kyi wants the Pope’s visit to highlight her governments efforts prioritize peace. Activists working on the peace process and Rakhine reconciliation are hoping that the visit may produce some tangible results, and not remain purely symbolic. The Vatican could involve its good offices to provide concrete support for the process, in much the same way the UN did in the past, mediating between the military and Aung San Suu Kyi, while she was under house arrest. This would keep international support apolitical and may help in finding a solid solution, especially to the problems in Rakhine.
https://southasianmonitor.com/2017/11/28/popes-peace-reconciliation-mission-myanmar/

 

[Banglar Bir]

2:00 AM, December 02, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 04:36 AM, December 02, 2017
'The presence of God today is also called Rohingya'
Pope meets refugees at interfaith gathering, asks for forgiveness

Pope Francis waves to Bangladeshi Christians as he arrives to lead mass in Dhaka yesterday. The pope arrived in Bangladesh from Myanmar on Thursday for the second stage of a visit that has been overshadowed by the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. Photo: AFP

Star Report
For the first time on his Asia tour, Pope Francis referred to the Rohingya people by name yesterday and assured them of continued support so that they can get their rights back.
"The presence of God today is also called Rohingya," the Pope said during an interfaith meeting at Kakrail Catholic Church where leaders of different communities prayed for religious harmony and global peace.

He also urged the world not to ignore refugees, persecuted minorities, the poor and vulnerable.

"How much our world needs this heart to beat strongly, to counter the virus of political corruption, destructive religious ideologies, and the temptation to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor, refugees, persecuted minorities, and those who are most vulnerable," he said.

Pope Francis prays with Rohingya refugees during an interreligious meeting in Dhaka yesterday. Photo: Reuters, BSS
The highest spiritual leader of the Catholics met 16 Rohingyas -- 12 men, two women and two children -- who were brought to the cathedral premises with approval from the government and under the supervision of Caritas Bangladesh.

He heard the Rohingyas, held their hands and touched them as they walked to the dais one by one and shared their experiences in brief.

Among them was Shawkat Ara, a 12-year-old Rohingya orphan, who broke down in tears shortly after the pope spoke to her and gently touched her head.

She fled to Bangladesh after losing her entire family in an attack by the military in Myanmar.

"Your tragedy is very hard, very big. We give you space in our hearts," said the pontiff, who arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday afternoon following a three-day visit to Myanmar.

"In the name of all those who persecute you, who have persecuted you, those who have hurt you, above all for the indifference of the world, I ask for forgiveness, forgiveness." Francis said in improvised comments.

"Many of you talked to me about the great heart of Bangladesh, which offered you refuge. Now I appeal to your heart to give us the forgiveness we are asking from you," he told the group of refugees.

The pontiff receives a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Photo: Reuters, BSS
He also assured them of his support, saying, "We will not close our hearts for you."

Earlier this year from the Vatican, the pope twice defended the Rohingyas by name, once saying that they had been "tortured, killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and their Muslim faith".

The pope's avoidance of the word, Rohingya, in Myanmar was an issue of dismay of the rights activists who termed the atrocities of Myanmar security forces against the minority group as ethnic cleansing, genocide and crimes against humanity.

The authorities in Myanmar reject the term Rohingya. Many in the Buddhist-dominated country regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Fleeing widespread persecution, over 636,000 Rohingyas crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh since August 25. Another four lakh had arrived in the previous years.

Rides a rickshaw, Photo: Reuters, BSS
'OPENNESS OF HEART'
Pope Francis arrived at the programme venue of the Kakrail Catholic Church on a rickshaw at 4:30pm amid huge applauds and a Bangla song welcoming a religious leader who is known for championing the rights of refugee.

As the pope took his seat on the dais, wearing a white cassock, the programme began with the national anthem of Bangladesh.

Addressing the unique function that was featured by musical and dance performances by artistes from Banglee as well as Khasia, Santal, Oraon and Mandi communities, Pope Francis said it was a "highly significant moment in my visit to Bangladesh".

“For we have gathered to deepen our friendship and to express our shared desire for the gift of genuine and lasting peace.”

He told the gathering of some six thousand people that the meeting is a clear sign of the efforts of religious leaders and followers to live together with mutual respect and good will.

Meets a Rohingya girl. Photo: Reuters, BSS
In Bangladesh, where the right to religious freedom is a founding principle, this commitment stands as a subtle yet firm rebuke to those who would seek to foment division, hatred and violence in the name of religion, he added.

“It is a particularly gratifying sign of our times that believers and all people of good will feel increasingly called to cooperate in shaping a culture of encounter, dialogue and cooperation in the service of our human family.”

However, it entails more than mere tolerance, he said.

“It challenges us to cultivate an openness of heart that views others as an avenue, not a barrier."

He said “openness of heart” is the condition for a culture of encounter and compared it to a door, which enables communities to embark on a dialogue of life, not a mere exchange of ideas.

Openness is engaging fruitfully with another and sharing distinct religious and cultural identity, but always with humility, honesty and respect, he added.

The pope said openness of heart is likewise a path that leads to the pursuit of goodness, justice and solidarity. It leads to seeking the good of our neighbours.

"Religious concern for the welfare of our neighbour, streaming from an open heart, flows outward like a vast river, to quench the dry and parched wastelands of hatred, corruption, poverty and violence that so damage human lives, tear families apart, and disfigure the gift of creation.”

He said Bangladesh's different religious communities have embraced this path in a particular way by their commitment to the care of the earth and by their response to the natural disasters that have beset the nation in recent years.

He said he too thinks of the common outpouring of grief, prayer and solidarity that accompanied the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza, which remains fresh in the minds of all.

"In this these various ways, we see a clear confirmation that how the path of goodness leads to cooperation in the service of others."

The 80-year-old Roman Catholic leader has frequently sought to influence a world he sees as indifferent to the plight of refugees forced to leave their homelands, whether through poverty or conflict.

Last year he took three Syrian families, all Muslim, back to the Vatican after visiting them on the Greek island of Lesbos, a hotspot for asylum seekers.

He has praised Bangladesh for giving refuge to the Rohingya, who have brought with them stories of horrific abuse at the hands of the Myanmar military and local Buddhist mobs, including rape, arson and murder.

Earlier in the day, the pope led a giant open-air mass in Dhaka attended by around 100,000 Bangladeshi Catholics who sang hymns in Bengali and chanted "viva il papa" ("long live the pope") as he was driven through the crowd in an open-sided popemobile.

There he ordained 16 priests.

"I feel like I am blessed to join the pope's prayers," said 60-year-old widow Pronita Mra, who had travelled from her village in northeastern Bangladesh.

"I hope the pope will pray for peace and harmony among all communities in Bangladesh."

THE MESSAGE OF PEACE
Addressing the interfaith gathering on behalf of the civil society, Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman said Bangladesh was founded based on the principle of equality for all, but unfortunately religious and ethnic minorities sometimes face oppression.

The veteran educationalist thanked Pope Francis for supporting Rohingyas, and expected that this support would facilitate a solution so that the refugees can return home.

Speaking on behalf of the Muslim community, Maulana Farid Uddin Masud said the whole world is now plagued by violence and clashes among religious groups and nations.

"We are inspired by the way Pope Francis is working for peace," he said and vowed to fight against extremism and all other ills.

He hoped that with the support of pope, who is both a spiritual and a political leader, there will be a peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Swami Drubeshananda, who spoke on behalf of Hindus, said different religions originated in different times, but all of them speak for human welfare.

He thanked the pope for visiting Bangladesh with the message of peace.

Buddhist community leader Shanghanayak Shuddhananada Mohathero prayed for a stronger fraternity among religious and ethnic groups in Bangladesh.

Besides, he demanded Myanmar take back the Rohingyas protecting their dignity and rights.

Cardinal Patrick D' Rozario, archbishop of Dhaka, said Bangladesh is one of the best examples of religious harmony.

He called for continuing efforts to foster dialogues among all religious and ethnic groups to build a prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh.

Theophil Nisharan Nokrek, from the Catholic community, said people of all religions and ethnicities in Bangladesh live peacefully, but sometimes "bad politics" leads to violence.

He called for more dialogue among different communities.

Bishop Paul Shishir Sarker, from the protestant church, prayed for peace on the occasion. "There is corruption, immorality and poverty among us. Lord, please give us strength so that we can fight these menaces."

Foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla, were present at the programme.
[With inputs from CNN, AFP and Reuters]
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpa...he-presence-god-today-called-rohingya-1499239

 

[Banglar Bir]

The Stateless Rohingya
Pope Francis asks for ‘forgiveness’ from persecuted #Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh
By Tom Embury-Dennis, Independent
Pontiff also mentions word 'Rohingya' for first time during Asia trip
Pope Francis has met with a group of Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh, asking them for "forgiveness" in the name of all of those who have "hurt you".

The Pope also mentioned the word "Rohingya" in public for the first time during his trip to Asia, telling 16 refugees: "The presence of God today is also called Rohingya."

"In the name of all of those who have persecuted you, hurt you, I ask forgiveness. I appeal to your large hearts to give us the forgiveness that we are asking," he said.
http://www.thestateless.com/…/pope-francis-asks-for-forgive…

www.thestateless.com
THESTATELESS.COM

 

[mb444]

It was a double posting on Pope visit. So, deleted.


No, Pope's support is very relevant. Do not think that he is powerless because he is a Pope. All the leaders of Christian world tries to understand the meaning when he says something.

Pope failed to utter the name Rohingya in Burma demonstrating his relevance....

He has not come here for the rohingya.... its a long no arranged visit...

 

[Banglar Bir]

Pope failed to utter the name Rohingya in Burma demonstrating his relevance....
He has not come here for the rohingya.... its a long no arranged visit...

10:35 AM, December 03, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 10:53 AM, December 03, 2017
Pope says defence of Rohingya got through in Myanmar

Pope Francis gestures during a news conference on board of the plane during his flight back from a trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, December 2, 2017. Photo: Reuters/Vincenzo Pinto/Pool
Reuters, Aboard The Papal Plane
Pope Francis on Saturday defended his strategy of avoiding the term “Rohingya” in Myanmar, saying he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue.
Speaking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh, the pontiff also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar's military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.
Read More

Stand by Bangladesh

‘Gossip is a kind of terrorism’

He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting.

“For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses,” he said.

“I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings,” he said.

Francis did not use the word Rohingya in public while on the first leg of the trip in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the mostly Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say it because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups.

The pope met Myanmar's military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation's biggest city, Yangon.

The meeting had been scheduled for Thursday morning but the military pointedly asked at the last minute that it be pushed forward. The result was they saw the pope before the civilian leaders instead of the other way around, as had been planned.

Non-negotiable truths
“It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable,” he said of his meeting with the military leaders.

The latest exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh of about 625,000 people followed a Myanmar military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25.

Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations.

Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: “I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say”.

He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase “IntelligentiPauca,” which means "Few words are enough for those who understand," strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence.

Human rights groups have criticised the country's de facto civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was under house arrest for a total of 15 years before the 2015 elections, for not taking a stand against the generals.

But Francis, who met with her privately on Tuesday, appeared to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her delicate relationship with the generals who were once her jailers.

“Myanmar is a nation that is growing politically, in transition,” Francis said in response to a question about Suu Kyi and budding democracy in Myanmar.

“So things have to be viewed through this lens. Myanmar has to be able to look forward to the building of the country”.

On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year.

He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God's presence was within them and they should be respected.

“I was crying and tried to hide it,” Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him.
http://www.thedailystar.net/rohingy...f-rohingya-got-through-myanmar-crisis-1499470

 

[mb444]

10:35 AM, December 03, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 10:53 AM, December 03, 2017
Pope says defence of Rohingya got through in Myanmar

Pope Francis gestures during a news conference on board of the plane during his flight back from a trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, December 2, 2017. Photo: Reuters/Vincenzo Pinto/Pool
Reuters, Aboard The Papal Plane
Pope Francis on Saturday defended his strategy of avoiding the term “Rohingya” in Myanmar, saying he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue.
Speaking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh, the pontiff also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar's military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.
Read More

Stand by Bangladesh

‘Gossip is a kind of terrorism’

He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting.

“For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses,” he said.

“I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings,” he said.

Francis did not use the word Rohingya in public while on the first leg of the trip in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the mostly Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say it because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups.

The pope met Myanmar's military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation's biggest city, Yangon.

The meeting had been scheduled for Thursday morning but the military pointedly asked at the last minute that it be pushed forward. The result was they saw the pope before the civilian leaders instead of the other way around, as had been planned.

Non-negotiable truths
“It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable,” he said of his meeting with the military leaders.

The latest exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh of about 625,000 people followed a Myanmar military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25.

Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations.

Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: “I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say”.

He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase “IntelligentiPauca,” which means "Few words are enough for those who understand," strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence.

Human rights groups have criticised the country's de facto civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was under house arrest for a total of 15 years before the 2015 elections, for not taking a stand against the generals.

But Francis, who met with her privately on Tuesday, appeared to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her delicate relationship with the generals who were once her jailers.

“Myanmar is a nation that is growing politically, in transition,” Francis said in response to a question about Suu Kyi and budding democracy in Myanmar.

“So things have to be viewed through this lens. Myanmar has to be able to look forward to the building of the country”.

On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year.

He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God's presence was within them and they should be respected.

“I was crying and tried to hide it,” Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him.
http://www.thedailystar.net/rohingy...f-rohingya-got-through-myanmar-crisis-1499470

Bullshit....

Easy to make claims that can not be verified. Impact of his intervention can be calculated as precisely zero.

 

[Banglar Bir]

12:00 AM, December 04, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:30 AM, December 04, 2017
Pope defends his Myanmar strategy

Pope Francis
Agencies
Pope Francis on Saturday defended his strategy of avoiding the term "Rohingya" in Myanmar, saying he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh, the pontiff also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar's military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.

He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting, reports Reuters.

"For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses," he said.

"I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But [in public] I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, [the right to] citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings," he said.

Francis did not use the word Rohingya in public while on the first leg of the trip in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the mostly Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The pope met Myanmar's military leaders privately last Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation's biggest city, Yangon.

The meeting had been scheduled for Thursday morning but the military pointedly asked at the last minute that it be pushed forward. The result was they saw the pope before the civilian leaders instead of the other way around, as had been planned.

NON-NEGOTIABLE TRUTHS
"It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable," he said of his meeting with the military leaders.

The latest exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh of about 625,000 people followed a Myanmar military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25.

Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations.

Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: "I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say".

He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase "Intelligenti Pauca," which means "Few words are enough for those who understand," strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence.

Human rights groups have criticised the country's de facto civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who was under house arrest for a total of 15 years before the 2015 elections, for not taking a stand against the generals.

But Francis, who met with her privately on Tuesday, appeared to give her the benefit of the doubt because of her delicate relationship with the generals who were once her jailers.

"Myanmar is a nation that is growing politically, in transition," Francis said in response to a question about Suu Kyi and budding democracy in Myanmar.

"So things have to be viewed through this lens. Myanmar has to be able to look forward to the building of the country".

On Friday, Francis held an emotional encounter with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year.

He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God's presence was within them and they should be respected.

"I was crying and tried to hide it," Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him.

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS
Pope's comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media.

"He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather," said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope's strikingly different stances on the crisis.

"He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader," said another Facebook user called Soe Soe.

Myanmar's Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians.

On his Myanmar trip, he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups -- but not naming the Rohingya.

His caution initially won applause from Myanmar's tiny Catholic minority -- who feared a nationalist blowback -- as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group, AFP writes.

"The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here [in Myanmar] and he said different in other country," another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted.

"He should say the same things if he loves the truth."

Others were more sanguine about Francis' choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil.

Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope's decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups.

“It means he respects Myanmar people," he said. "He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations."
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpa...sis-pope-defends-his-myanmar-strategy-1499746

 

[Banglar Bir]

Rohingya, realpolitik, and a strategic halo
Towheed Feroze
Published at 07:52 PM December 03, 2017
Last updated at 12:13 AM December 04, 2017

The Pope brought the Rohingya plight in front of the global audiencePhoto: REUTERS
What impact can the Pope’s visit have on the Rohingya?
The unfolding Rohingya tragedy has gone through several manifestations, starting with the sea of desolate humanity entering Bangladesh, to the latest situation where the Pope was on stage in Bangladesh with the persecuted people, listening to their tales of woe.

All through this human catastrophe, what became evident plus perturbing at every step was the assertive presence of realpolitik over simple moral imperative.

Those who were supposed to be blamed unequivocally, were spared while international censure by global leaders often seemed too reserved, covered by layers of appeasing mealy-mouthed rhetoric.

We had a papal visit recently and the breaking news was that the Pope had eventually mentioned the word “Rohingya” in the end.

This he had carefully avoided doing in Myanmar, reportedly, to ensure that the minority Christian community in that country did not face the wrath of the people plus the military.

I am not blaming the spiritual leader, whose visit was more of a show of solidarity rather than to achieve anything tangible for the oppressed.

The real problem is pushed under the carpet
In all this frenzied activity around the displaced people, the actual problem — a country where the army is calling the shots with a flimsy face of farcical democracy — is never mentioned by anyone.

While there is circumspect rhetoric about maintaining social harmony among all ethnic minorities, global leaders have not pin-pointed the Rohingya issue, refraining from directly blaming the men in uniform whose actions drove scores of people to leave their homes to seek refuge in another state.

Interestingly, whenever we hear that some global icon is visiting either Myanmar or Bangladesh there is expectation that maybe there will be some direct admonition/denunciation of the atrocities.

The aid agencies have called this “ethnic cleansing,” while the narrative from several global movers and shakers was nebulous. The Indian PM totally ignored it during his trip to Myanmar.

In this whole operation of taking back the displaced people, unwavering involvement of other, more powerful nations are essential

Reportedly, the exodus of the people began following an attack on Myanmar security posts by insurgents.

Obviously, we do not support insurgency of any format but when global personalities only talk of one side of a problem, completely disregarding the other, more diabolical face of a situation, it seems like covert approval.

The deal, sealed?
An agreement has been signed recently between the two states to begin repatriation of the people who fled to Bangladesh. The valid question remains: With memories of torture and violence fresh in the minds, will they want to go back?

Naturally, Bangladesh can’t look after them forever since our resources are finite and, at one point or the other, a process of returning will start, but in this whole operation of taking back the displaced people, unwavering involvement of other, more powerful nations are essential.

The term “Rohingya” seems to be an anathema in Myanmar; and since the Pope cautiously sidelined the word, we can understand that even usage of it carries the potential to spark a socio-political upheaval.

If that is the case, then once these people go back, how will they be identified?

If I am not wrong, one of the desires of the people is to be known as Rohingya. Hypothetically speaking, let’s assume the people go back from where they fled. They will face the uphill task of rebuilding a shattered life plus the ignominy of having no identity.

Bluntly speaking, signing an agreement may be a way forward, though the most important part is to ensure that once the people go back, they feel some sense of security and live freely, not in ghettos.

To ensure this, Bangladesh needs to have major powers by her side, otherwise, down the line, there will be another incident triggering another exodus.

Realpolitik and business
And then there is the real world — comforting and caring in rhetoric, calculating and cold in thought.

Here, own interests take precedence. From what I understand, Myanmar, opening to the world after remaining cloistered for so long, is like corporate-business Shangri La. Everyone wants a chunk of it, either it’s for a fizzy drink or a pizza chain or for imposing infrastructure projects.

The green signal for justifying their commercial interests is the face of Suu Kyi — the so-called fledgling image of democracy.

Who actually calls the shots in Myanmar has become crystal clear from the Rohingya crisis; yet, for some odd reason, foreign dignitaries, during their visit to Myanmar, are mostly seen talking to the civilian face of the government when it’s in fact just a charade.

The rationale given by Western government representatives is that if they are seen talking to the military then it might be interpreted as giving legitimacy to the army control.

But let me ask, when you talk to a civilian front of a regime controlled by the military then what are you giving credence to?

The Pope called for unity among ethnic segments in Myanmar during his visit. Honestly, speaking such a line is so vague that it can actually be used in almost all countries in the world and one does not need a humanitarian disaster either.

But then, coming back to reality, what else could he have done? To look at the positive side, his visit worked indirectly, as the Pope, in Myanmar and Bangladesh, brought the Rohingya plight in front of the global audience, using the spiritual cachet as a catalyst for reconciliation.

Hopefully, this trip will inspire world leaders to unite and pressure Myanmar to treat the returnees with civility.

The halo in the right place at the right time — very strategic indeed.
Towheed Feroze is a journalist working in the development sector.

 

[Banglar Bir]

Suu Kyi should heed Pope's suggestion on UN role
Pope endorses Suu's peace efforts
LARRY JAGAN FORMER BBC WORLD SERVICE NEWS EDITOR
4 Dec 2017 at 04:25

Catholic faithful watch a video of Pope Francis' meeting with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, during a mass at Kyite Ka San Football Stadium in Yangon on Friday. (Reuters photo)
Pope Francis' visit to Myanmar last week was an overwhelming success and may provide the much needed spark to ignite the government's peace process and its efforts to bring reconciliation to the country's violence-torn western region of Rakhine. The Pope's message was loud and clear: the only way forward for Myanmar was "love and peace", the title used for his visit.

"It's good that the Christian leader has come here and preached peace," said Win Lwin, a 40-year old taxi driver in Yangon, and a staunch supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi. "Pope Francis' visit was a clear endorsement of the government's peace process as defined by Aung San Suu Kyi," Denzil Abel, a Myanmar intellectual, former diplomat and Catholic told the Bangkok Post.

"The Pope's visit is exciting for both Christians and Buddhists," said Nay Aye, a former seaman, now earning his living driving a delivery van. "His words of tolerance and kindness were an inspiration to us all," he added. He was one of 200,000 people who crammed into the Kyaikkasan sports ground to hear his sermon in Yangon, on the penultimate day of his visit.

Larry Jagan is a Myanmar specialist and former BBC World Service news editor for the region.

Indeed the Pope's visit was a diplomatic triumph: by both example and words he showed that respect for others, tolerance and compassion should be the way forward. Apart from his speech in the capital Nay Pyi Taw to government officials, foreign diplomats, political parties and civil society, his key sermon in Yangon and a mass for the young people at St Mary's Cathedral, he met separately with the army commander-in-chief, Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the senior leaders of the Buddhist and Christian faiths. He also had a private moment with the country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

He stressed the similarities between religions, the shared goals and vision. "I know that many in Myanmar bear the wounds of violence, wounds both visible and invisible," he told his audience in Nay Pyi Taw. Resist the temptation to exact revenge, instead show "forgiveness and compassion" and allow these wounds to heal, he urged.

"He did not come to blame or lecture," Cardinal Charles Bo, the head of Myanmar Catholic Church told the Bangkok Post on the eve of his visit. "He is not here to convert or proselytise," he emphasised. "He doesn't want to anger any community; he is cautious not to divide or polarise."

And indeed the Pope continually stressed unity and diversity. "Even for non-Christians, the Pope's message was like a beacon, and his visit showed strong support for our leader, Aung San Suu Kyi," said Maung Maung Lay, vice-president of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

His visit also helped the people of Myanmar see the country in a positive light, instead of the international condemnation that they have got used to, said a government insider.

But the Pope on this visit also tried to offer practical pointers to help the peace process and national reconciliation. The Pope was keen to stress the role the next generation will play in the country's evolution, saying the future of Myanmar will depend on the young people.

Their education must also be based on "ethical values" including diversity and tolerance and not technical training alone, he suggested, adding that education should teach "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." This is an appropriate observation, as it comes at a timely moment for Myanmar's government and educators as they tackle the mammoth task of reforming and rewriting the national curriculum.

One area where the Pope and the Vatican could play a positive role is in fostering interfaith dialogue, a key recommendation of the Kofi Annan Commission for reconciliation in Rakhine. The Church has already laid out a framework for interfaith dialogue, adopted in Rome in 1965, in the Nostrae Aetate. It promotes discussion and sharing between all religions. At the time it was adopted, the synod urged all Catholics and Muslims to forget the hostilities and differences of the past and to work together for mutual understanding and benefit. This could also help in the Myanmar context.

The Vatican has previously intervened quietly in conflict situations in the past, at the request of the antagonists. The "good office" of the Vatican, not unlike the "good offices" of the UN secretary-general, has played an important role in the past, during the Colombian peace talks, and border disputes between Argentina and Chile. The advantage of their involvement is that it is extremely discreet and non-political. Some peace activists have suggested that the Vatican could play a role mediating between Myanmar and Bangladesh, and between the communities in Rakhine.

But the Pope also had some pointed advice for Aung San Suu Kyi. He advised her that she should not forget the UN, and allow them to play a role in Myanmar -- especially in Rakhine. Publicly he drew attention to the importance of the UN in promoting peace, development and human rights.

The UN, he reminded his audience in Myanmar, was formed at the same time as the universal declaration of human rights, in the aftermath of the two world wars. These reflected the "international community's efforts to promote justice, peace, and human development worldwide, and to resolve conflicts through dialogue, not the use of force".

Some analysts believe this was a gentle reminder to the State Counsellor that she should try to mend relations with the UN -- which are at an almost all-time low -- and allow them an important role in repatriation, reconstruction and reconciliation in Rakhine.

This was also the advice the former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan -- who headed the Advisory Commission whose recommendations are the basis of the Myanmar government's plans for solving the Rakhine crisis -- recently gave Surakiart Sathirathai, a former Thai foreign minister and chairman of a newly formed international advisory committee expected to be announced later this week.

The overriding importance of the Pope's visit was also the signal it sent to the international community, according to government insiders.

Whereas the West in particular points accusative fingers, is aggressive and threatening, the Pope came to talk and listen, and was supportive. This is an example of how the international community should act.

And if the West wants to maintain any influence with the Myanmar leaders -- which it is in danger of losing -- adopting the Pope's approach would be more helpful, and may even be more beneficial in solving the dilemmas in Rakhine.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1371831/suu-kyi-should-heed-popes-suggestion-on-un-role

Analysis: Face-to-face with Rohingya, pope ditches diplomacy

Pope Francis interacts with a Rohingya Muslim refugee at an interfaith peace meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Pope Francis ordained 16 priests during a Mass in Bangladesh on Friday, the start of a busy day that will bring him face-to-face with Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar at an interreligious prayer for peace. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
December 3, 2017
Dhaka, Bangladesh -- Pope Francis has gotten into trouble before for ditching diplomatic protocol and calling a spade a spade, most famously when he labeled the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians a "genocide" from the altar of St. Peter's Basilica.

Francis took the hit — Turkey recalled its ambassador to the Vatican in protest — for the sake of standing up for an oppressed people who were nearly wiped off the map a century ago.

Given the opportunity to do the same in Myanmar, where the military has launched what the U.N. says is a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslim minority, Francis opted instead for diplomatic expediency. He not only avoided the contested term "Rohingya" in his public remarks, he ignored Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades entirely and didn't call out his hosts for launching it.
Human rights groups complained. Rohingya complained. Journalists and pundits asked if Francis' legacy as a fearless crusader for the world's most marginal — the poor, homeless, refugees and prisoners — wasn't now in question.

By Friday, Francis' heart won out.

In an emotional encounter with 16 Rohingya refugees, Francis said what he probably wanted to say from the start. His voice trembling after he greeted the men, women and children who had been forced to flee their homes in Myanmar for wretched camps in Bangladesh, Francis begged them for forgiveness for what they had endured and the "indifference of the world" to their plight.
"The presence of God today also is called 'Rohingya,'" he told them.

And with that one word, Francis erased days of speculation that the tell-it-like-it-is, protocol-be-damned pope had sold out to the professional diplomats at the Vatican who were willing to deny a persecuted minority their very identity for the sake of global and local church politics.

Francis on Saturday explained his strategy: He said he would have never gotten his message across if he had launched into a public critique of the Rohingya offensive while on Burmese soil, saying doing so would have "slammed the door in their face" to any real dialogue.

"It's true I didn't have the pleasure of slamming the door in their face publicly with a denunciation," Francis told reporters en route home to Rome. "But I had the satisfaction of dialogue, and letting the other side dialogue, and in this way the message arrived."

The Vatican had defended Francis' initial silence as necessary for the sake of "building bridges" with Myanmar, which only established diplomatic relations with the Holy See in May.

"Vatican diplomacy is not infallible," spokesman Greg Burke told reporters in Yangon. "You can criticize what's said, what's not said. But the pope is not going to lose moral authority on this question here."
Burke added that the Catholic Church is a minority in Myanmar. The implication was clear: Catholics are already discriminated against in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, and certainly didn't need any blowback from the vast majority of Burmese who recoil at the term "Rohingya" because it implies an official recognition of them as an ethnic group. The local church had urged Francis to refrain from using the term, and Francis obliged.

A pope is first and foremost a shepherd to his flock.

The Vatican also wanted to back its local church in supporting Aung San Suu Kyi, who many Burmese see as their only hope for forging a more democratic, inclusive society where basic rights are guaranteed for all minorities — Christians included.
And so when he arrived in Yangon and joined Suu Kyi at an official welcome ceremony, Francis behaved like a true diplomat.

He called for all ethnic groups in Myanmar to have their basic rights guaranteed — an important message to be sure but one that was clearly written by committee.

Francis upped the ante when he arrived in Bangladesh, where he acknowledged the "immense toll of human suffering" under way in the squalid, overcrowded refugee camps that are now home to more than 620,000 Rohingya who have poured across the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state.
In his official arrival speech, Francis demanded the international community take "decisive measures" to not only help Bangladesh provide for the refugees, but to resolve the underlying political causes in Myanmar that set off the exodus.

But he didn't say "Rohingya." Until he met them.

And when he did, when he clasped their hands in his and listened to their tragedies, he not only acknowledged their identity, he assumed responsibility for all the suffering they had endured.
"In the name of all those who persecute you, who have persecuted you, and those who have hurt you, above all in the indifference of the world, I ask you for forgiveness," he said. He repeated the word: "Forgiveness."
Francis was back.
http://www.rohingyablogger.com/2017/12/analysis-face-to-face-with-rohingya.html