MYANMAR Myanmar’s shadow government calls for religious freedom

Dr. Sasa, the executive minister of national unity, called for an end to the coup military’s atrocities against civilians and places of worship. He proposed a Constitution for the creation of a federal state. Since the coup, more than 20 thousand houses and religious places have been destroyed.

Yangon () – “The freedom to believe is the fundamental freedom granted to all human beings by Almighty God. It must be sustained, respected and protected. That is exactly what the people of Myanmar want,” he said in his Salai Maung Taing San appealbetter known as Dr. Sasa, Minister for International Cooperation of the Government of National Unity of Myanmar, who opposes the ruling military junta.

“The people of Myanmar want to have full religious freedom, the freedom to believe or not believe, and the freedom to choose their own future. When we talk about freedom, we are talking about the freedom to choose, the freedom to believe, the freedom to hope, love and live in peace. Freedom of education, including religious education. The freedom to build and prosper. Those are the reasons for this historic revolution in Myanmar, whose brave people are fighting for freedom and federal democracy”, continued the minister of the shadow government, which the United Nations considers the legitimate executive of the country.

After the coup by the Burmese army that overthrew the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar was plunged into civil conflict: “In May alone, more than 7,000 civilian homes, churches and other places of worship were burned and destroyed by murderous military and civilian sponsored militias,” explained Dr. Sasa. “As a result of these atrocities, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced and left homeless. Many of these atrocities are taking place in the places where religious minorities live.” Since the coup, more than 20,000 civil and religious buildings have been destroyed.

The generals, the minister continued, “are using religion and race as weapons, supporting ultra-extremist groups like ‘Mabata’ [nuestra raza, religión y misión]. The leader of the extremist group, Wirathu, was described by Time magazine as the face of Buddhist terror. Mabata has created several movements, such as the 969 movement, which openly supports violence against other minority religious communities in Myanmar and has spread hate speech against religious minorities.”

But that is not all, the military is also “using hunger and poverty as a weapon to intimidate and destroy religious freedom”, attacking the faithful in states with a Christian majority and “the Muslim minority, the Rohingya, in the Rakhine State”. Specifically, they prevent humanitarian assistance from “reaching minority areas” so that they do not receive “food, medicine and aid.”

The Government of National Unity has proposed the drafting of “a federal constitution based on democratic principles that belongs to all the people of Myanmar, a constitution that respects, protects and promotes the freedom and rights of all, regardless of race, religion, sex, color, language, origin and ethnicity.” That is why, concluded Dr. Sasa, “the brave people of Myanmar will never give up, stop or stop the fight for freedom and federal democracy”.