Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon has appealed to the international community not to punish the people of Myanmar as it faces genocide charges over the military's 2017 crackdown on Rohingya, angelusnews reported.

Ucanews.org had reported the cardinal urged the world to keep in mind the well-being of all the people of Myanmar as it considers what measures to take in pursuit of justice.

"In particular, I urge the international community that in their efforts to hold those responsible for crimes against humanity accountable, they do not inadvertently penalize those who are not responsible, and do not punish the people of Myanmar as a whole, who in the past seven years have seen their country take tentative, fragile steps toward opening up to the world," Cardinal Bo said in a letter released Dec.1.

The cardinal raised his concern that the efforts of the international community could hurt the poorest in the Southeast Asian nation, which is in a fragile state after decades of military rule.