The images of the Catholic nun who took to the streets in the city of Myitkyina, capital of the Kachin state, in the north of Mynamar, went around the world, begging on their knees the security forces not to fire on the young protesters who were peacefully protesting.
Sister Ann Nu Thawng, of the religious congregation of St. Francis Xavier, an institute of diocesan right in Myitkyina – notes the Vatican agency Fides -, is the icon of yesterday, February 28, marked by the harsh repression of the police which, according to United Nations, fired, killing 18 people among demonstrators across the country and injuring more than 30.
“In the Myitkyina area, so far the demonstrations have always been peaceful and without incidents. But yesterday some episodes of violence threatened to precipitate the situation”, tells Fides Joseph Kung Za Hmung, editor of “Gloria NewsJournal”, the first Catholic newspaper on the web in Myanmar.
“The action of the nun and the response of the police who, upon seeing the nun’s plea, stopped, surprised many of us. Sister Ann today is a model for the leaders of the Church: bishops and priests are called to leave the their comfort zones and to take an example of her courage “, she hopes, noting that many non-Catholics have also praised Sister Thawng, whose speech soon went viral on social media. “More than 100 demonstrators were able to find shelter in his convent. He saved them from the brutal beating and arrest of the police”, the Director reports.
Photos: Getty Images
