Myanmar's New Catholic Cardinal Warns Against Religious Extremism

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo gestures during a Reuters interview in his office in Yangon, Myanmar, Jan. 6, 2015.

Reuters
January 06, 2015 3:18 PM

YANGON— Religious extremism could derail Myanmar's much-vaunted reform process, the Buddhist-majority country's first Catholic cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, said on Tuesday.

Bo, who was named a cardinal by Pope Francis on January 4, warned that Buddhist nationalism directed against minority Muslims could drive the latter to connect with international extremist groups that would "retaliate."

"So far they have been more on the quiet side, but if they come with the force of an international community of Muslims, then violence, terrorism, suicide bombers and all these things could happen," Bo told Reuters in an interview at the red-brick cathedral in downtown Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

Bo called for mutual understanding and urged the government to do more to curb hate speech by radical monks.

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