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Reuter: Pope Urges Respect for Huma



Subject: Reuter: Pope Urges Respect for Human Rights in Burma 

Reuter: Pope Urges Respect for Human Rights in Burma 

    VATICAN CITY, July 6 (Reuter) - Pope John Paul urged military-ruled
Burma on Friday to respect human rights and said the Catholic Church must
not neglect a role it could play.
     The Pontiff, in a speech to Burmese bishops at the Vatican, encouraged
efforts to make Roman Catholics "ever more aware of the part they can play
in your country's development."
     He said that was "a development which should embody respect for human
rights and for cultural and religious values, as well as the promotion of
justice and the service of the common good."
     "The safeguarding and promotion of human dignity and inalienable human
rights, and in particular the right to religious freedom, is a task which
the Church must never neglect," the Pope added.
     The United Nations and organisations such as Amnesty International
have alleged widespread human rights violations under Burma's ruling State
Law and Order Restoration Council. Amnesty called the rights situation
"critical" last October.
     Military rulers detained more than 260 pro-democracy activists during
a crackdown on the opposition in late May. Many were later freed but
Amnesty said it was still concerned about the whereabouts of some
detainees.
  REUTER
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