Mizzima

The leader of the Catholic Church in Myanmar has appealed to protesters to refrain from violence amid an increasingly brutal military crackdown, according to Christian Today.

The call from Cardinal Charles Bo follows reports that a 6-year-old girl was shot dead after security forces raided her family's home in Mandalay.

Cardinal Bo called on demonstrators to maintain the high ground and be peaceful.

In his letter, shared by Aid to the Church in Need, the cardinal acknowledged the temptation to resort to violence in the face of "brutal violence", but begged them to stick to the path of peace, saying that the peaceful nature of the protest movement had gained the "solidarity" and "admiration" of the international community.

Cardinal Bo wrote that he understood the protesters’ anger. "Heartbroken and frustrated by the violence that you face and by the rising death toll, you wonder if armed struggle may be the better response to the daily repression and brutality that you face."