ASIA/MYANMAR - In the midst of conflict and suffering "the faithful live a deep faith and do not lose hope"

Monday, 26 May 2025 civil war faith pontifical mission societies diplomacy cease-fire human rights

MYANMAR

2025-06-19
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2025-06-16
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Appeal from the Diocese of Myitkyina: humanitarian aid for displaced persons

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2025-05-26
In the midst of conflict and suffering "the faithful live a deep faith and do not lose hope"

Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - "The country is divided. The situation in Yangon, where I currently live, is quite calm. In the big cities in the central part of the country, people's lives continue, and even our liturgies and pastoral activities can proceed in churches. Of course, there is always a curfew, we live with a series of restrictions due to the ongoing conflict in the country, but we try to live our faith always, with our hearts turned towards the mission and those who suffer. This is what Father Stephen Chit Thein, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Myanmar, shared with the Fides, providing an overall picture of the situation in the troubled Southeast Asian country.
The situation, however - he continues - is very different in the peripheral areas of the country, in the border regions: there is still ongoing fighting, and there is great suffering and displacement. We must remember that, in addition to the conflict, the pain and hardship caused by the earthquake have also been added."
Father Stephen Chit Thein adds: "What strikes me the most is to see so many people suffering, who have been living in extreme precarious conditions for the past four years, yet they continue to live and practice a deep faith: the faithful continue to trust in God and hope, they do not sink into despair, but keep the light of hope alive." "We are living in a time of great trial, which involves the entire Burmese people, and our hope, as the special theme of this Jubilee Year reminds us, is grounded and rooted in Christ, who never disappoints and never abandons us. This conviction is deeply present in the suffering population of Myanmar," he notes.
While the humanitarian situation has worsened over the past four years, Father Stephen Chit Thein notes: "We continue to hope also thanks to the words and appeals that come from the Holy See, which shows us deep closeness. We remember and thank Pope Francis, who visited and mentioned Myanmar many times and always kept us in his heart. Pope Leo XIV also reminded the international community of Myanmar's suffering and launched an appeal for peace. We hope that he will continue to speak about us and speak about peace, so that the international community does not forget us."
Meanwhile, at the diplomatic level, a new initiative is underway within the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), of which Myanmar is a member. Malaysia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of ASEAN, has requested an extension of the ceasefire following the earthquake in Myanmar, while also intensifying calls for the implementation of the "Five-Point Peace Plan" that ASEAN proposed in the past. The military junta in power had declared a ceasefire in the ongoing civil war after a violent earthquake in late March, which killed about 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless. The agreement, which was previously extended, is set to expire at the end of May, although UN observers state that the junta’s airstrikes have never stopped.
In an ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting on May 25, Malaysian President Mohamad Hasan "officially proposed" the extension and expansion of the ceasefire beyond the currently affected areas, to facilitate the long and difficult path to recovery and alleviate the suffering of the people of Myanmar". Hasan stated that in June, he will visit the Burmese capital Naypyidaw as a member of ASEAN, "to assess humanitarian needs and the distribution of aid to the people affected by the earthquake."
ASEAN political leaders are meeting in a summit in Kuala Lumpur today, May 26. So far, ASEAN has not been able to implement the Five-Point Peace Plan agreed upon in April 2021. Due to the lack of implementation of that plan, representatives of the Burmese military junta have been banned from participating in ASEAN summits. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 26/5/2025)