Open Letter to Pope Francis from a Rohingya Refugee

Dear Pope, 

Hope you are in good health and peace of mind. 

First of all, a heartiest welcome to you to Myanmar, my country. It is a deep boast of my country receiving a pontiff for first time. 

I'm Ro Mayyu Ali, a peace-loving Rohingya. Now, I become a refugee sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh since September 6.

I believe in love, peace and kindness. Definitely these beautiful things in human hearts can lighten 

the values of dignity for human family. 

"When you experience bitterness, put your faith in all those who still work for good: in their humility lies the seed of a new world" once I came to read your tweet. Of course, being a Rohingya in Myanmar, I have lost my boyhood. I have lost my dreams. I have lost my hopes for Aung San Suu Kyi, my childhood hero. And recently I have lost even my birth place. I therefore, have been experiencing the worst bitterness in my life since childhood. 

But the hope I have in my heart for love and peace is still intact. The faith I put in all those who still work for good is still fresh. And you are one of those whom I put my faith in being a member of the world's most persecuted people. And I truly believe in your humility, there it lies the seed of a new change for my Rohingya people. 

"Our Rohingya brothers and sisters" is still echoing into my ears again and again. It directly submerges into the depth of my heart. And it always bestows me a light to keep hopes on you. 

Since then we, the Rohingya people feel have been always the brothers and sisters of the holy pontiff like you. The brothers and sisters of your papacy to champion peace and reconciliation and to speak up for the persecuted people suffering all over the world. 

We, the human family shall never forget the moment that you stopped your white Popemobile at the barrier between Palestine and Israel and kissed the separation wall during your visit to Bethlehem in 2014. It gave us the example of a famously independent move for the truth and human dignity. 

Moreover, my heart beats in joys coming to know that you will visit to meet with 620,000 Rohingya refugees who have the stories of gang rape, mass killing, mass grave and infants throwing into fire. Since then, we, the Rohingya refugees lose our breath to receive you, the one who treats us as brothers and sisters and embrace you, the one whose heart has the truth and love for human family. 

Can you hear us again "Our Rohingya brothers and sisters", please? It is the drops of remedy for our decade-long depressed souls. 

Can't wait to hear from you more!

Your sincerely,

Ro Mayyu Ali

(a Rohingya refugee) 

Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh