Msgr Celso Ba Shwe - Bishop of Loikaw - took part in the celebration that every year on the third Sunday of November recalls the bond of solidarity between Japanese Catholics and the Church in former Burma, now wounded by war. Support for schools in the forest through the Seeds of Hope initiative. Archbishop Kikuchi: ‘Hope is born from the heart of those who walk together’.
Myanmar’s military strongman met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a two-day summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion. Chinese source stresses infrastructure projects undermined by the civil war, noting that Beijing has also held discussions with the militias that control the borders and the rare earth trade.
In the first nine months of the year at least 435 people were killed by the military. It was 113 in 2021. This is compounded by artillery strikes and air attacks against houses, schools and religious buildings, as well as massacres and arson attacks by troops in the field. The junta uses fear as a weapon. At least a thousand civilians trapped in fighting in Rakhine State.
A grenade landed on the building on Friday; no one was hurt or killed. Myanmar's military junta said it would launch an investigation to find those responsible. Discontent towards China is rising in Myanmar, while Beijing asked ethnic militias to stop fighting in Shan State.
The human rights activist told AsiaNews that the elections organised by the military junta are just propaganda. How can they supervise an election since they failed to respect the 2020 vote? He wants “concrete actions" from the international community. The military “must be held accountable” for the violence committed with impunity. He hopes to see interethnic unity in a democratic country; it is time to show “that we are not divided.”
Baseless rumours are fuelling the ethnic conflict that broke out a year and a half ago in the north-eastern Indian state. The latest fake news refers to “900 militants” who allegedly came from neighbouring Myanmar to fight the Meitei. Chief of Army Staff has denied the claim, saying that people entering from Myanmar “are coming unarmed” to escape the war in that country.
