By Matters India Reporter
Yangon, Sept 25, 2020: A group of inter faith leaders meeting on South East Asia Freedom of Religion or Belief (SEAFoRB) endorsed the role of religious leaders in peace-building and conflict resolution.
Addressing the September 25 on-line gathering of 6th SEAFoRB, Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo said, “We must be clear that in pursuit of dialogue we must never sacrifice the beliefs, customs and values that we each cherish in our different religious traditions.”
The cardinal who is also co-president of SEAFoRB says, “We must see the spirituality and dignity in our fellow human being of another faith, while at the same time nourishing our own, and celebrating – not defending or pushing either.”
Referring to one million Rohingyas who fled Myanmar because of religious persecution and now living as refugees, Myanmar’s first cardinal condemned, “I say simply today: whatever the historical arguments, whatever the legal determinations, what has happened to these people is a scar on the conscience of my country, and it must be put right.”
Cardinal who is also archbishop of Yangon insists, “For there to be real peace, true reconciliation, there has to be justice. The crimes committed against Muslims in Myanmar – not only in Rakhine but throughout the country – is an assault on human dignity itself and all of us, of whatever faith, must cry out for justice. For without justice, there cannot be peace.”
The president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference Cardinal Bo also highlighted the plight of Christians and Buddhists, “While Rohingyas have very rightly received worldwide attention, there is also a need to pay attention to the plight of the predominantly Christian Kachin, Chin, Karenni, and many among the Karen, as well as our Buddhist brothers and sisters among the Rakhine, Shan and Mon, and among those who have struggle for so long in the wider democracy movement too.”
The cardinal concluded, “the role of a religious-leader is to facilitate peace-making, pursue truth, seek justice, defend freedom and human dignity; attempt dialogue and understanding, and celebrate diversity.”
The SEAFoRB assembly, first convened in 2015 in Bangkok, is an ongoing project attended by peace advocates dedicated to the promotion of religious freedom in Southeast Asia.