Myitkyina – A Catholic religious woman took to the streets in the city of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State in the north of Mynamar, and asked the security forces not to shoot young demonstrators who are protesting peacefully. Sister Ann Nu Thawng of the Congregation of St. Francis Xavier in the diocese of Myitkyina, became the heroine of yesterday, February 28th, which was marked by harsh repression of the Burmese police, who, according to the United Nations, opened fire, killing 18 people and injuring more than 30 nationwide.
“In the Myitkyina area, demonstrations so far have always been peaceful and without incidents. However, yesterday episodes of violence risked precipitating the situation”, said Catholic Joseph Kung Za Hmung, editor of the “Gloria News Journal”, the first Catholic online newspaper in Myanmar. “The action of the nun and the response of the police who, upon seeing the nun’s plea, stopped, surprised many of us. Sister Ann Nu Thawng is today a role model for Church leaders: bishops and priests are called to step out of the their comfort zones and follow her courage as an example”. Many non-Catholics also praised Sister Thawng’s brave efforts, whose entry went viral on social media. “More than 100 demonstrators were able to find shelter in her monastery. It saved them from brutal beatings and arrests by the police”, says the Director.
Commenting, in his homily yesterday, second Sunday of Lent, on the social and political crisis in the country, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, noted: “The Gospel of the Transfiguration is so current that it reflects the events of these days: What transfiguration are we looking for in Myanmar today? If we seek it, all the confusion, all the darkness, all the hatred will go away and our country, the famous Land of Gold, will be transfigured into a land of peace and prosperity”.
“During the last month – continued the Cardinal – we have implored everyone: peace is the only way; peace is possible. Pope Francis has called for the resolution of all conflicts through dialogue. Those who want conflict do not want the good of this nation. Let us all become Elijah who proclaims peace, by lighting a lamp of hope in the midst of darkness”. Cardinal Bo prayed for the nation that “has seen so much suffering, so much war, so many deaths” and said, “Like Abraham, we seek a promised land. The promised land comes when we are ready to sacrifice what we consider very dear”.
He concluded his message: “Conversion is the central message of Lent. Let’s challenge ourselves. Let’s see each other in a better light. There is a possible new world, a possible new Myanmar, a conflict-free nation is possible if that nation is transfigured into the glory it deserves. Let us make peace our destiny, not conflict. Weapons are unnecessary. We must rearm ourselves through reconciliation and dialogue. Myanmar’s Mount Tabor must be climbed with patience, tolerance, if we are to witness this transfiguration. Evil must disappear, but it cannot be destroyed by another evil”.
The Burmese army took power on February 1 in a coup, declaring a one-year “state of emergency”, after accusing the National League for Democracy, the party of the civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, under arrest.

Yangon – “There is determination but also concern among the people during these hours. The State is in crisis because of the actions of the Civil Disobedience Movement. State offices are closed or not working. Throughout the area, even in the suburbs or in the villages, the population does not accept or recognize the leaders or district authorities appointed by the military. Even ordinary security measures are taken care of by the citizens themselves. We are in a difficult and delicate phase, but the people are convinced that they will move forward in peaceful protest for democracy”, said Joseph Kung Za Hmung, a lay Catholic Burmese, editor of the Burmese Catholic newspaper “Gloria News Journal”, on the social tensions in Myanmar and the demonstrations against the military coup on February 1st.

Yangon – “There is determination but also concern among the people during these hours. The State is in crisis because of the actions of the Civil Disobedience Movement. State offices are closed or not working. Throughout the area, even in the suburbs or in the villages, the population does not accept or recognize the leaders or district authorities appointed by the military. Even ordinary security measures are taken care of by the citizens themselves. We are in a difficult and delicate phase, but the people are convinced that they will move forward in peaceful protest for democracy”, said Joseph Kung Za Hmung, a lay Catholic Burmese, editor of the Burmese Catholic newspaper “Gloria News Journal”, on the social tensions in Myanmar and the demonstrations against the military coup on February 1st.
In the face of this scenario, armed militiamen attacked the demonstrators with sticks, stones and knives, trying to spread fear and terror among the peaceful crowd. People have not stopped protesting for three weeks and more and more citizens are joining the civil disobedience movement across the country.
The presence of provocateurs has led to isolated clashes and increased the number of victims. According to the “Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma” eight people have been killed by security officers or militiamen. Some of them died in military hospitals. Meanwhile, the social network Facebook has removed all accounts linked to Tatmadaw and banned advertisements from military-controlled companies on its platforms.
Bishop Alexander Pyone Cho, at the head of the diocese of Pyay, suffragan of Yangon, explains: “We are living in the time of Lent, in which every Christian is invited to use the weapons of prayer, fasting and charity: this is the path that we will follow as Christians. This is the path that the crucified Christ shows us. Our Catholic communities in Myanmar, which represent just over 1% of the population, pray in every church during the Rosary and the Eucharistic adoration, asking God for a peaceful solution to the crisis the country is experiencing”.
“Young people – observes the Bishop of Pyay – want a free, just and democratic future, and do not accept those who have taken power by force. As Pastors we have asked to set up a negotiating table: resuming the path of dialogue is urgent for the good and prosperity of the country. Myanmar must move away from violence and follow the paths of justice and peace”.

Yangon – “Our appeal is to stop the illegal arrests of citizens made during the night. We will continue to nurture the Civil Disobedience Movement that thousands of people of good will, of all cultures, social classes, ethnic groups, religions are pushing forward across the country. We want to express our peaceful but firm dissent towards the military government. We want to be inspired by Gandhi and the non-violence of the Gospel”. This is what Joseph Kung Za Hmung, Burmese Catholic layman and Director of the Burmese Catholic newspaper Gloria News Journal, told Agenzia Fides about the social situation in Myanmar in the aftermath of the military coup that subverted the results of the November democratic elections on 1 February.
Jospeh Kung tells Fides: “The Civil Disobedience Movement is growing stronger day by day and currently involves personnel from all ministries, even if the military are asking them to return to work for the proper administration of the country. Many have refused to return to work in their ministries, both at the federal government level, and in offices at the regional level, within the country”.
On the tenth day of civil disobedience, Myanmar is still crisscrossed by street demonstrations calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, arrested in the aftermath of the coup that saw Tatmadaw resume the power it left in 2015 in the hands of the first Burmese civil government.
Despite the fears that spread over the weekend, the day saw a continuous head-to-head between the police and demonstrators but not the hardening of the attitude of the police expected due to the deployment of armored vehicles and the presence of equivocal characters in the most important areas of towns. There were fears of the repetition of the provocations made in 1988 by groups of criminals, which had provided the army with a pretext to bloody suppress student protests against the military dictatorship. Groups of citizens therefore organized themselves autonomously, instituting surveillance patrols and rounds which isolated these characters, many of whom could have been recruited from among the 23,000 inmates released by the junta in recent days to empty the prisons – where there are now some 400 political dissidents – and perhaps to use some of them as agents provocateurs.
The new government, which has taken the name of “State Administrative Council”, has meanwhile suspended the law the protection of privacy, thus legitimizing arrests and searches carried out without a warrant, while a new law on cyber-security is being prepared with the task of managing social networks and the spread of the Internet on a new legal basis. These are activities that the country cannot do without but which can be managed through protection software and systems to control telematic activity.
On the International level, in the meantime, pressure has increased on the eve of Aung San Suu Kyi’s court hearing in Naypyidaw which, scheduled for today, was postponed for no reason to the day after tomorrow. It is not known whether the President will also be questioned. The two leaders are accused of violating import laws and anti Covid restrictions. While the United States has already launched economic sanctions and a dozen embassies have published yet another communiqué condemning possible new violence, UN Secretary General António Guterres yesterday called on Myanmar’s military and police to ensure that the right of peaceful assembly is “fully respected” and that protesters “are not subject to reprisals”. Three days ago, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada al-Nashif noted that a lack of action on violations committed by the military Burmese, “encouraged” them by contributing to the current crisis and that the indiscriminate use of weapons against peaceful demonstrators – he added – is “unacceptable” since “more violence against the people of Myanmar will only aggravate the illegality of the coup and the guilt of its leaders”.

Yangon – “It is a campaign of civil disobedience and peaceful protest involving citizens of all cultures, races and religions. Today people did not go to work and boycotted public services and offices. People took to the streets with the three fingers raised to symbolize the condemnation of the military coup and to demand a return to democracy”, said Joseph Kung Za Hmung from Burma to Fides, editor of the Burmese Catholic newspaper “Gloria News Journal” in a comment on the day of protest in Yangon, where on February 8th the now continuing noise of pots and cans could be heard and red curtains, shirts and tablecloths hung at the windows, as a sign of non-violent dissent.
People took to the streets and not only in the former capital where, according to local observers, an estimated 700,000 people were taking part in the demonstrations in various major cities in the country at noon. It is the third consecutive day that there are street protests in Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and in other cities in the country where activists, doctors, teachers, young and old, women and men, ordinary people, even monks and Christian leaders are present. Joseph Kung Za Hmung states that “the Archbishop of Mandalay, Mgr. Marco Tin Win and some of his priests joined the demonstrators and greeted them with the symbol of the three fingers raised. In addition to Buddhist monks, there are also Christian nuns and lay people. It is a great encouragement, the country is united. Many religious leaders prayed together. It is a non-violent interfaith movement”.
The demonstrators put up posters asking for justice, the end of the military coup and of course the release of those arrested, especially the leader of the League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, and President Win Myant, who was overthrown by the military council on February 1st.
However, the military junta, announced on TV that a “crackdown” will be implemented to “enforce order and security”.
The list of political prisoners, drawn up today by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, contains 137 detainees, of whom only 13 have so far been released. At the top of the list are Suu Kyi and the president, who are accused of “illegally importing transmission devices” and “violating anti-Covid regulations” during the election campaign. The indictment allows the judicial authorities to keep them in prison, but it seems paradoxical that the military junta allegedly wants to guarantee a “legal” trial when in fact it has the power to arbitrate the fate of the detainees.
Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi’s attorney denied rumors that she was arrested for “high treason,” which would involve very severe sentences. The leaders of the National League for Democracy and President Win Myant are under house arrest and it is not clear whether the two will be allowed to stay at home or put in jail ahead of the hearing, due to take place in a court in the capital on February 15.
Their release was also requested by the UN Security Council.

Yangon – “The elected representatives of our people belonging to the National League for Democracy are under arrest. So are many writers, activists and youth. I urge you, respect their rights and release them at the earliest. They are not prisoners of war; they are prisoners of a democratic process. You promise democracy; start with releasing them”: is the appeal addressed to the leaders of the army by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo who, in the aftermath of the coup, issued a heartfelt Message – sent to Agenzia Fides – addressed to the people of Myanmar and the international community. On the day of the military takeover, the Cardinal was on a pastoral visit in Kachin State and therefore remained isolated for a few days. The Cardinal – authoritative voice of the Catholic Church in Asia, Archbishop of Yangon, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences , as well as Patron of “Religions for Peace” in Myanmar – writes a long appeal not as politician, he specifies, but “as a spiritual leader, empathizing with the sentiments of millions of people at this moment”. The text is addressed, in four points, to fellow citizens, civilian leaders, the Tatmadaw and the international community. “I have watched with sadness the moments of darkness in our history and watched with hope the resilience of our people in their struggle for dignity. We are journeying through most challenging times of our history. I write with love towards all, seeking a durable solution, praying for an end forever to the periodic darkness that envelops our dear nation”, reads the introduction.
In the first point, speaking to the people of Myanmar, the Cardinal appeals to the citizens: “Stay calm, never fall victim to violence. We have shed enough blood. Let not any more blood be shed in this land. Even at this most challenging moment, I believe that peace is the only way, peace is possible. There are always nonviolent ways for expressing our protests. The unfolding events are the result of a sad lack of dialogue and communication and disputing of diverse views. Let us not continue hatred at this moment when we struggle for dignity and truth. Let all community leaders and religious leaders pray and animate communities for a peaceful response to these events. Pray for all, pray for everything, avoiding occasions of provocation”. And, due to the current pandemic, he pleads “the brave health workers not to abandon the people in need at this time”, as some have resigned as protest from their public service.
In the second point, addressed to the Tatmadaw General and the Tatmadaw Family, he says: “The world has reacted with shock and agony to what has happened. When, in 2015, a peaceful transition to the elected government was effected by the Army, that won the admiration of the world. Today the world tries to understand what went wrong in the following years. Was there a lack of dialogue between the elected civilian authorities and the Tatmadaw? We have seen so much pain in conflicts. Seven decades of shedding blood and the use of violence brought no results. You all promised peace and genuine democracy. Democracy was the streak of hope for solving the problems of this once rich country. This time millions voted for democracy. Our people believe in peaceful transfer of power.
Now the Tatmadaw has unilaterally taken over. Allegations of voting irregularities could have been solved by dialogue, in presence of neutral observers. A great opportunity was lost. Many leaders of the world have condemned and will condemn this shocking move”. He continues: “Now you promise greater democracy – after investigation and another election. Myanmar people are tired of empty promises. How will you gain the trust of our people? They will trust only when words are matched by sincere actions”, urging the military to “take care of the population”, to avoid violence, to respect their rights and to release all leaders under arrest.
The third point speaks to leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the leaders of the National League for Democracy: “You are in this plight in your unending struggle to bring democracy to this nation. The unexpected turn of events has made you prisoners. We pray for you and urge all concerned to release you at the earliest”. “Dear Aung San Suu Kyi – he continues – you have lived for our people, sacrificed your life for our people. You will be always the voice of our people. These are painful days. You have known darkness, you have known light in this nation. Truth will prevail. God is the ultimate arbiter of truth. But God waits. At this moment I offer my personal sympathies with your plight and pray that you may once again walk amidst your people, raising their spirits”. “At the same time I wish to confirm that this incident takes place due to lack of dialogue and communication and lack of acceptance of one another. Please listen to others”.
Finally, the Cardinal addresses the international community, expressing gratitude for the compassionate accompaniment at this moment. However, he emphasizes, “sanctions and condemnations brought few results, rather they closed doors and shut out dialogue. These hard measures have proved a great blessing to those super powers that eye our resources. The international community needs to deal with the reality, understanding well Myanmar’s history and political economy. Sanctions risk collapsing the economy, throwing millions into poverty. Engaging the actors in reconciliation is the only path”.
Cardinal Bo, at the end of the Message “wishes the best for our people”, so that the Burmese nation will once again be “a reconciled community, animated by hope and peace” and, inviting all stakeholders to solve all disputes through dialogue, he reaffirms that “Peace is the only way. Democracy is the only light to that path.

Yangon – “We urge a swift and peaceful return to the path of democracy, and appeal for the human rights and freedoms, including the freedom of religion or belief; of all Myanmar’s people to be fully respected and protected”: this is what the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia – ecumenical bodies that welcome representatives of different Christian confessions – are asking in a joint pastoral letter, addressed to the Churches in Myanmar, following the recent military coup.
The pastoral letter, sent to Agenzia Fides, expresses “profound concern regarding the current developments in the country, especially the abrupt resumption of military rule, overturning the outcome of elections on 8 November 2020, as well as the detention of key political and pro-democracy representatives and the escalation of the national situation to the state of emergency”.
Leaders of ecumenical organizations proclaim their hope for peace and justice: “We pray that the recents development will not lead to an escalation of violence and suffering in your country” and reiterate the “support to the Churches and communities of Myanmar in prayer and in solidarity”, while trying “to provide counsel and comfort to their people in this time of deep anxiety and uncertainty for the future”.
The Secretary General of the CCA, Mathews George Chunakara, points out to Fides that “the military coup comes at a time when the country is suffering the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the decline of socio-economic standards and poverty is enormous”. Recalling the constant efforts of the CCA over the decades for democratization and human rights in Myanmar, he notes: “The CCA has always upheld the values of democracy, justice and peace. In this time of destabilization and uncertainty about the future, we are with the people of Myanmar and we pray for the restoration of democracy in the country”.
The international community, including Churches around the world, expresses deep concern at this time about the possibility of Myanmar entering another dark phase in its history.

Eddie Lee Howard, Jr., convicted and sentenced to death based on the false forensic testimony of a since disgraced prosecution expert witness, has been exonerated after nearly 26 years on Mississippi’s death row. He is the 174^th

former death-row prisoner exonerated in the U.S. since 1973 and the sixth in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Supreme Court overturned Howard’s conviction in August 2020, 26 years after he was first sentenced to death for the 1992 murder and alleged rape of an 84-year-old white woman. In an 8-1 decision, the court held that discredited bite-mark testimony, exculpatory DNA evidence, “and the paucity of other evidence linking Howard to the murder” entitled him to a new trial. Howard was freed pending retrial in December 2020 (see picture).

On January 8, 2021, the trial court granted a motion by Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom to dismiss all charges against Howard. “After reading the supreme court’s opinion, reading the trial transcripts from the two trials, reviewing the investigative files and case files of the case, I decided that we didn’t have even remotely close to sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Howard beyond a reasonable doubt,” Colom said.

Howard was represented by lawyers from the Mississippi Innocence Project and the national Innocence Project. The Mississippi Innocence Project’s founding director, Tucker Carrington, called Howard’s exoneration “a bittersweet victory.” “We’re thrilled that Mr. Howard will finally have his freedom and some semblance of justice,” Carrington said, “but he has lost nearly three decades of his life facing execution because the system failed. His case reminds us that there is still much work to be done to support Mr. Howard and others like him who have lost precious years of their lives to wrongful convictions.”

Brazzaville – “The spread of COVID-19 in Africa has been marked by a relatively low number of infections, which have decreased in the past two months due to various socio-ecological factors and early public health measures by governments across the region”, says a report by the World Health Organization , which seeks to explain the low prevalence of the pandemic in most African Countries.
One of the factors considered is the high proportion of young people in the African population. “About 91 percent of COVID-19 cases in sub-Saharan Africa affect people under the age of 60, and more than 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic”, it said.
In addition, a number of socio-ecological factors such as low population density and mobility, hot and humid climate contribute to the development observed in Africa.
There has been a sustained decline in new COVID-19 cases in the region since July 20. 77,147 new infections were reported in the past four weeks, compared to 131,647 in the previous four weeks.
Some of the hardest hit Countries, including Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa, have all seen a weekly decrease in infections over the past two months. The number of COVID-19-related deaths also remained low in the region.
“The downward trend that we have seen in Africa over the past few months is undoubtedly a positive development and testament to the determined and decisive action taken by governments across the region in the area of public health”, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director for WHO Africa. “Other parts of the world have seen similar trends and have found that as soon as public health and social measures are eased, cases increase again”.
“Africa has not experienced the exponential spread of COVID-19 as many originally feared”, said Dr. Moeti. “However, the slower spread of the infection in the region means that we expect the pandemic to continue to spread for some time, with occasional outbreaks”.
“The measures in African Countries must be adapted to the situation in each Country, as we see different infection patterns even within the same Country. Targeted and local responses based on what works best in a given area will become even more important as States ease restrictions and open up their economies. It is not possible to adopt generalized approaches to the region or to the countries”, concludes Dr. Moeti.

A Florida trial court has freed a former death-row prisoner after local prosecutors said new DNA evidence had proven his innocence of the rape and murder for which he was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death 37 years ago.

A Florida

trial court has freed a former death-row prisoner after local prosecutors said new DNA evidence had proven his innocence of the rape and murder for which he was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death 37 years ago.

Based on junk-science bite-mark evidence and false testimony from a prison informant, Robert DuBoise (pictured with his mother, Myra, following his release) was convicted of raping and murdering 19-year-old Barbara Grams. The jury unanimously recommended that DuBoise be sentenced to life, but his trial judge, Henry Lee Coe III, overrode their recommendation and sentenced DuBoise to be executed in Florida’s electric chair.

DuBoise was released from the Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green, Florida, August 27, 2020, one day after Hillsborough prosecutors and lawyers from the national Innocence Project and the Innocence Project of Florida presented Circuit Judge Christopher Nash with evidence of his innocence. Working with State Attorney Andrew Warren’s Conviction Integrity Unit, the parties told the court that there was in fact no bite mark and that DNA evidence from an untested rape kit excluded DuBoise and implicated two other men.

In February 1988, the Florida Supreme Court overturned DuBoise’s death sentence, ruling that the trial court should not have overridden the jury’s sentencing recommendation and directing that DuBoise be resentenced to life imprisonment. Judge Nash reduced that sentence to time served and set a September 14 hearing date for the presentation of evidence to overturn his conviction.

DuBoise was greeted outside the prison by his mother, Myra, his sister, Harriet, and Innocence Project lawyer, Susan Friedman. After hugging his mother, he spoke to an assemblage of reporters and cameras.

“It’s a beautiful day,” he said.