Four Kachin bishops have met Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing to talk prospects for peace in the country’s north, where fighting between the military and armed ethnic groups has intensified. Retired Abp Paul Zinghtung Grawng of Mandalay and Bishops Philip Lasap Za Hawng of Lashio, Francis Daw Tang of Myitkyina and Raymond Sumlut Gam of Banmaw attended a meeting at Bayintnaung Parlor in Naypyidaw on Jan. 16.
For one hour and 45 minutes, the bishops and Min Aung Hlaing discussed the situation in Kachin and Shan states, where intense fighting has erupted in recent months between ethnic armed groups and Myanmar’s military.
Since late last year, the military has conducted an offensive using airstrikes and heavy artillery, resulting in thousands of internally displaced persons fleeing their camps.
“We conveyed the message on the Catholic Church’s stance of getting a durable peace through dialogue instead of arms, and the church stands ready to take part in nation building in collabora-tion with all stakeholders,” he told ucanews.com.
Bishop Gam said the military chief reaffirmed its commitment to ending civil wars in Myanmar while opening the door to all armed ethnic groups to negotiate.
Since the situation deteriora-ted in 2011, more than 100,000 people have been displaced. Most of the state’s 1.7 million Kachins are Christians, including 116,000 Catholics.
