“Give Peace a Chance,” Cardinal Bo Asks for International Support for People of Myanmar

“Give Peace a Chance,” Cardinal Bo Asks for International Support for People of Myanmar
By Hajime Ozaki, a journalist and an external relations advisor for RfP/WCRP Japan
February 21, 2025

Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and a Co-President of RfP International visited Japan in early February to ask for international support for the peace effort in Myanmar. He expressed his two main concerns in meetings with Japanese diet members and humanitarian aid organizations: a prolonged conflict and the suffering of the people of Myanmar and a declining global attention to the dire situation in Myanmar, mainly because of the wars in Ukraine and Palestine. He pleaded with the global community and religious leaders to “give peace a chance” in Myanmar.

February 1 marked the fourth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. The army overthrew the democratic government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Suu Kyi, 79, has been under house arrest since then.

According to human rights groups, more than 6,000 civilians have been killed since the coup. According to the United Nations, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has reached 3.5 million, and approximately 20 million people need humanitarian assistance.

The military government continues to fight ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy factions throughout the country. Pro-democracy political parties have been dissolved. The junta plans to hold a general election in November of this year. The aim is to ensure the victory of a party under the military government’s control, formally transfer power to civilian rule and justify the military’s continued rule. On January 31, the junta announced a six-month extension of the state of emergency that has been in place since the coup.

In a meeting with Japanese interfaith community leaders and representatives of aid organizations, including UN officials in Tokyo, Cardinal Bo asked the participants to focus on “three major needs of our people.”

The first need, Cardinal Bo said, is regional and international support for a nationwide ceasefire.

“The conflict has uprooted millions, scattered families, and denied thousands of children the promise of a brighter future in school. Yet, amid tears and uncertainty, the resilient spirit of the people shines. We believe that peace is the restoration of dignity, hope, and opportunity,” “I must acknowledge with regret that Myanmar has, for too long, fallen from the international radar of compassion. While the world rightly focuses on the crises in Israel-Gaza and Ukraine, our agony remains a mere footnote in humanitarian discourse. A fraction of the aid reaches us. Greater visibility of the tears and brokenness of our simple people in every forum of peace and reconciliation is essential. I, therefore, seek your more intense and sustained involvement,” Cardinal Bo said.

Cardinal Bo explained the second need, which was immediate humanitarian assistance, citing statistics from the UN and Myanmar government.

– Approximately 19.9 million people, including 6.3 million children, require humanitarian assistance in Myanmar. That amounts to about one-third of the population.
– There are 3.5 million IDPs in Myanmar. Only 15% of them live in formal camps. The rest majority endure harsh conditions in informal shelters or jungles, facing severe shortages of food, healthcare, and water.
– Nearly two million people are at risk of starvation in Rakhine State due to economic collapse driven by ongoing conflict and trade blockades.
– Over one million people were forced to flee to neighboring countries as refugees.
– Six million children have limited or no access to healthcare and education and face risks such as forced recruitment and landmines.
– Last year, UNHCR received only 43% of the $415.6 million emergency appeal in Myanmar.

“These figures underscore the urgent need for increased international support and effective aid delivery to vulnerable populations. Every child aided, every family sheltered, is a step closer to replacing despair with hope,” Cardinal Bo said.

To meet the third need, measures to ensure lasting peace in Myanmar, Cardinal Bo called for Japan, ASEAN, the UN, and other stakeholders to double down on their support.

Cardinal Bo said Japan is “uniquely positioned to support Myanmar’s journey toward peace” and expressed hope for its contribution in such key areas as;

– dialogue facilitation among parties involved in the conflict,
– humanitarian projects to fund the reconstruction of schools and hospitals,
– youth empowerment,
– landmine clearance.

Cardinal Bo stressed that increased international support and practical aid delivery are crucial to replacing despair with hope. He also appealed to ASEAN, the UN, and other stakeholders to open dialogue to start a peace offensive. “Let the guns fall silent, make our people to return home,” he said.

Cardinal Bo concluded his presentation with a plea. “The people of Myanmar—especially our children and youth—have suffered far too long under the shadow of conflict. We owe them a future where peace is not a distant dream but a living reality—a future where their hopes, dreams, and potential are fully realized.
May our collective efforts sow the seeds of lasting peace, empower our youth, and deliver the peace dividend that will heal Myanmar and enrich our entire region.”

In a separate press conference, which also took place in Tokyo two days earlier, Cardinal Bo explained his grave concern about the fate of the young generation in Myanmar. “Brothers are killing brothers, and sisters are killing sisters,” he said. One of the root causes of the trend that drives youngsters to armed conflict is the lack of basic education, the Cardinal explained, adding that the recruitment by various armed groups, including the junta, is another factor.

Appealing for more aid from the international community to the people of Myanmar, Cardinal Bo warned that money should not be used by warring factions to purchase weapons and ammunition. “Both sides are receiving money to buy ammunition,” he said. Cardinal went further to say “a word on China” and criticized China for “providing weapons both to junta and other armed groups.”

During the press conference and meetings, Cardinal Bo stopped short of criticizing the junta. He indicated that the situation in Myanmar now is too complicated and that his responsibility is to become a peace-building bridge among all the parties involved without shutting the door to any one of them.

Some people are critical of Cardinal Bo, saying he is too close to the junta and gives in to it.

But Dr. Francis Couria Kagema, the Secretary General of RfP, defended Cardinal Bo without mentioning his name by the following remark. “The religious leaders are called pastors and bridge builders across the divisions. Religious leaders in Myanmar are misunderstood as partisan. They aren’t. RfP calls for the cessation (of armed conflicts) and (the establishment of) the civil government. (We) need open dialogue for peaceful coexistence.”