Vatican City: Pope Francis has extended an offer to provide refuge to Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi within Vatican territory, as reported by Italian media 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 reportedly said during his meetings with Jesuits in Asia earlier this month.

Italian priest Antonio Spadaro shared extracts from these private meetings, held between September 2 and 13 in Indonesia, East Timor, and Singapore, in an article published by *Corriere della Sera*. Pope Francis also emphasized the importance of addressing Myanmar’s ongoing crisis, saying, "We cannot stay silent about the situation in Myanmar today. We must do something."

The pope expressed hope for a peaceful future in Myanmar, grounded in human dignity, democratic rights, and collective efforts for the common good. "The future of your country should be one of peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of everyone and respect for a democratic system that enables everyone to contribute to the common good," he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 78, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence, convicted of charges including corruption and violations of Covid pandemic protocols. In 2015, her party, the National League for Democracy, achieved a historic victory in Myanmar's first democratic election in 25 years. However, she was detained following the military coup in 2021, and local reports indicate she is suffering from health issues while in custody.

Once celebrated internationally as a champion of human rights and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, Suu Kyi’s reputation suffered in 2017, when she was criticized for not intervening in the military’s persecution of the predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority. The violent crackdown remains under investigation by the United Nations for genocide, and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh report that the persecution is ongoing.

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation, has been in a state of unrest since the 2021 military coup, with the junta engaged in conflicts with both long-established ethnic rebel groups and emerging pro-democracy forces. AFP