Myanmar visit pope francis demands respect ethnic group

You're referring to the recent visit of Pope Francis to Myanmar (also known as Burma) and his message of respect for the country's ethnic groups.

Pope Francis visited Myanmar from November 27 to December 2, 2017, becoming the first Pope to visit the country. During his visit, he met with the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other government officials, as well as with members of the country's Christian community.

However, the Pope's visit was also marked by controversy and criticism. Many human rights groups and activists had called for the Pope to boycott the visit or to use his platform to speak out against the Myanmar military's treatment of the country's ethnic minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims.

The Rohingya have been subjected to widespread persecution and violence, including mass killings, rape, and forced displacement, by the Myanmar military and Buddhist extremists. The crisis has led to a massive exodus of Rohingya refugees to neighboring Bangladesh and other countries.

Pope Francis did not explicitly mention the Rohingya crisis during his visit, but he did speak out against discrimination and violence against any group, saying that "we must not forget the suffering of the Rohingya people."

In a speech to the country's bishops, the Pope also emphasized the importance of respecting the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. He said that "the Church is not afraid to speak out against injustice and to defend the rights of all people, especially the most vulnerable."

The Pope's message of respect and inclusivity was seen as a significant departure from the Myanmar government's stance on the Rohingya crisis, which has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and accountability.

Overall, Pope Francis's visit to Myanmar was seen as an opportunity for the Catholic Church to promote peace, reconciliation, and human rights in the country, and to speak out against discrimination and violence against any group.