One of Myanmar’s most senior clerics has declared the country is on the eve of an era of “freedom, democracy, justice, peace and hope” and there are “reasons to be hopeful for Myanmar” for the first time in half a century.
Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of the former capital, Yangon, said in a New Year’s message: “We are just at the very beginning of a new chapter in Myanmar's story. Over the past two years, the doors of our nation have opened to the world.”
He added: “In the past two years, restrictions on freedom of expression have been relaxed, there is more space for civil society, the media and political actors, there have been preliminary steps towards peace in the ethnic states, and many political prisoners have been released. After many years under house arrest, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been elected to Parliament, along with her colleagues in the National League for Democracy.”
“For the first time in more than 50 years, there are reasons to be hopeful for Myanmar. And all these came because some of our brothers and sisters, from 1988 onwards refused to accept the powers of darkness.”
In 2011 a civilian Government took power in Myanmar, although the constitution is still military-dominated. The Government has begun enacting a series of political reforms after 49 years of military rule. Last year opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who the previous year was released from almost 15 years under house arrest, met Pope Francis in the Vatican.
The archbishop's letter came as the Church in Burma asked the Government to return land and schools confiscated over the last five decades – a move that observers say signals a fresh openness from the country’s rulers.
Archbishop Bo said Christians were “among the victims of land grabbing". He went on: "The Church has done a great job in the field of education and health. Many schools in Myanmar were started by Christians. Not recognising such valuable contribution, the former regime confiscated our properties and our schools.
He added: "To contribute to the development of the nation, we ask such structures are given back to us. It is our cultural right."
John Pontifex of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, said: “That he should be making such a request at this time is a sign of his confidence the political temperature really is changing in Burma – the new regime may be at last ready to bring the Church out from the cold and rehabilitate it by righting the wrongs of the past.”
He added: “The letter is tactically very astute, encouraging the regime to think of the Church as an invaluable ally in the struggle to tackle the country’s immense social problems and endemic poverty. “
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