Pope Francis appealed on Wednesday for an end to bloodshed in Myanmar, saying: “Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say ‘stop the violence’”.

Francis made the appeal, his latest since a February 1 coup, at the end of his weekly general audience, held remotely from the Vatican library because of Covid-19 restrictions. More than 180 protesters have been killed as security forces try to crush a wave of demonstrations.

“One more time and with much sadness I feel the urgency to talk about the dramatic situation in Myanmar, where many people, most of them young, are losing their lives in order to offer hope to their country,” he said.