The photo of a nun pleading with the Military in a northern Myanmar city has gone viral.
The picture shows a Catholic nun in a simple white habit, her hands spread, pleading with the military of the new junta who were preparing for a crackdown on anti-coup protesters has gone viral.
The picture of Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng begged a group of heavily armed police officers to spare “the children” and take her life instead has won a lot of praise in Myanmar which is a Buddhist majority country.
This incident happened during the protest for the return of democracy in Myanmar in the city of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state. The protesters took to the streets of Myitkyina, were wearing hard hats and carrying homemade shields. As the police started massing around the protesters, Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng and 2 other nuns pleaded with them to leave.
According to the 45-year-old nun who fell to her knees while pleading with the Military, she was worried for the children but moments later the police started firing into the crowd of protesters behind her.
She also said ‘The children panicked and ran to the front; she couldn’t do anything but was praying to God to save and help the children.
She added she first saw a man shot in the head fall dead in front of her and also she felt the sting of tear gas. She further said that she felt that the world was crashing and she was begging the forces.
According to a local rescue team, 2 men were shot dead on that spot but were not sure whether live rounds or rubber bullets were used.
Zin Min Htet was the name of one of the men who died and later in his funeral his body was laid in a glass casket and transported on a golden hearse covered in white and red flowers.
This was not Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng’s first encounter with the security forces, it happened on 28th February when she walked slowly towards the police in riot gear got onto her knees pleading them to stop.
