When a Nun Pleads for Mercy

Working as I do, in international development, in a global role, it means I’ve visited many nations on my work travels.

About 12 years ago, one of those nations was Myanmar in South East Asia. I can vividly remember sitting with a colleague, in Yangon, on the edge of a lake, looking across to the far side – and my colleague informing me that I was looking at the home of Aung San Suu Kyi who, at that time, was living there under house arrest.

It was one of several surreal moments on that particular work trip.

At the time, the military were in charge of the country. But in subsequent years, there has been a gradual return to civilian rule, and Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party were recently elected into power by a landslide majority.

This all changed last month, when the military seized control in a political coup – and Aung San Suu Kyi, and several NLD members were detained. Worse, in the weeks since, many unarmed civilian protestors have been (and continue to be) arrested, tortured, or summarily shot and killed.

But in the midst of the atrocities, I have discovered a deeply moving lightthroughthecracks story …

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Sister Ann Roza Nu Tawng is a Burmese nun. She lives in a convent in Kachin State in Myanmar. And she recently took on the might of the armed military police, by kneeling in front of them, and pleading with them to show mercy and stop firing bullets at the unarmed civilian protestors.

“Please kill me. I don’t want to see people being killed,” she cried.

She was prepared to die; to sacrifice her life so that others may live.

In this moving report, Sister Ann Roza explains her story in her own words;

On Sunday, I was at the clinic. I was giving treatment on that day, as the other clinics were closed. I saw groups of people marching by. They were protesting. Suddenly I saw police, military and water cannons following the protesters. Then they opened fire and started beating the protesters. I was shocked and I thought, ‘Today is the day I will die.’ I decided to die.

I was asking and begging them not to do it and I told them, ‘The protesters didn’t commit any [crime].’ I was crying like a mad person. I was like a mother hen protecting the chicks. I was running towards where they were beating the protesters. It was happening in front of this clinic. It was like a war. I thought it would be better that I die instead of lots of people.

I was crying out loud. My throat was in pain, too. My intention was to help people escape and be free to protest and to stop the security forces. I asked them not to continue arresting the people. I was begging them. At that time I was not afraid. If I had been scared and run away, everyone would be in trouble. I was not afraid at all …

When they reached the Banyan tree, I was calling them [the authorities] and telling them: ‘Please kill me. I don’t want to see people being killed.’ I was crying out loud and they stopped for a while.

One came to me and said: ‘Sister, don’t worry so much, we are not going to shoot them.’

But I told him: ‘They can also be killed with other weapons. Don’t shoot them. They are just protesters.’

In my mind I didn’t believe that they were not going to shoot them, as in many places I’ve seen they have shot people dead. I brought [a protestor] to the clinic and gave him treatment. The police almost captured another one as he had fallen down. I stopped the police and asked them not to continue. That’s why the police didn’t. Otherwise, they would have arrested him and dragged him from there.

I feel like they [the military] are not the guardians of the people, as you have seen what’s happening to the people … It’s not safe. They [the security forces] arrest and beat those who they don’t like. They kill them. There’s no one to protect Myanmar people. People have to defend themselves and help each other.

When faced with human suffering, this brave nun allowed courage and compassion to dictate her actions. In doing so, she bore witness to the one she worships: Jesus, who lay down His life, through His death on the cross, that we might be reconciled to God.

‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,’ are the words of Jesus, taken from John 15 verse 13, in the Bible.

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When Sister Ann Roza knelt down, and pleaded for the lives of strangers, she stopped the police in their tracks.

God willing, none of us will ever have to face such a situation. But let me ask you this: When faced with human suffering, or an abuse of power, are you willing to speak out and take a stand against it? Are you willing to be brave, courageous and compassionate, if it will benefit others, even if you have to count the cost?

As ever, if you want to share any thoughts or reflections, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

Top photo by John Capistrano from Pexels.
Other photo from Myitkyiana News Journal.