Pope Francis has reportedly offered to provide refuge on Vatican territory to Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to Italian media reports on Tuesday.
"I asked for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and I met her son in Rome. I have proposed to the Vatican to give her shelter on our territory," the pope was quoted as saying during his recent trip to Asia, where he met with Jesuits in Indonesia, East Timor, and Singapore between September 2 and 13.
The Corriere della Sera daily published an article by Italian priest Antonio Spadaro, which included excerpts from these private meetings. "We cannot stay silent about the situation in Myanmar today. We must do something," the pope reportedly said.
Suu Kyi, 78, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence on various charges, including corruption and failing to comply with Covid-19 restrictions. In 2015, her National League for Democracy won Myanmar's first democratic election in 25 years. However, she was arrested by the military during the 2021 coup and is said to be experiencing health issues while in detention.
Once hailed as a symbol of human rights, Suu Kyi's reputation suffered a significant blow in 2017 when she was accused of not taking action to prevent the persecution of the country's predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority. This crackdown is the subject of an ongoing United Nations genocide investigation, and persecution continues, according to Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh.
Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country, has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, with the junta battling both established ethnic rebel groups and newer pro-democracy forces.
