Prayer event held in Taipei for Myanmar quake survivors

Taipei, April 11 (CNA) A prayer event was held in Taipei on Friday to "light up hope" for survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, drawing around 150 attendees, some of whom expressed appreciation for the support shown by Taiwan after the disaster.

Organized by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), the event -- titled "Pray for Myanmar, Light Up Hope" -- took place at the University of Taipei on Friday evening and was attended primarily by Myanmar students living in Taiwan.

After remarks by OCAC head Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), Deputy Education Minister Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成), and leaders of the Myanmar community in Taiwan, representatives from the Buddhist, Christian and Islamic faiths each led prayer rituals to "offer comfort to students whose families have been affected by the disaster," according to the organizer.

Following the three prayer sessions, attendees lit electronic candles and held them in silence for a moment, then hung prayer cards on a "wall of blessings" to symbolize sending hope and love to Myanmar.

Among those who left heartfelt messages was Casper Lu (呂子幸), a 20-year-old student from Myanmar studying in Taiwan, who told CNA that he wanted to thank the Taiwanese people for their continued concern for Myanmar in the aftermath of the powerful quake.

"I may be far from home, but I'm deeply grateful for the concern people here have shown my home country," said Lu, who is studying at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

Originally from southern Myanmar, Lu said that while his immediate family is safe, some relatives living in the central region were affected by the quake, with their homes partially damaged -- but fortunately, no one was injured.

He noted that in the central region -- which includes the earthquake's epicenter near the Southeast Asian country's second-largest city, Mandalay -- around 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed.

Lu said he might volunteer to help with the coordination of supply deliveries to the affected areas, adding that Taiwan's support -- both material and financial -- would be a great help in reconstruction efforts.

Following the conclusion of Friday's 90-minute event, another is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, according to the OCAC.

Apart from the two events, the council is also running a fundraising campaign through May 31 to support those affected by the quake, with a focus on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items such as food and medical supplies to the survivors.

Donations to OCAC's fundraising campaign can be made to the "Overseas Compatriot Culture and Education Foundation" (財團法人海華文教基金會) -- a nonprofit organization supported by the council -- via Cathay United Bank's Guanchian Branch (館前分行) to account number 001-50-169089-5.

Donors are asked to include "Myanmar Earthquake Relief Donation" (緬甸震災捐款) in the payment notes and to email their donation receipt along with their name, identification document number, and contact information to occeftw@gmail.com.

There have been more than 3,500 confirmed fatalities resulting from the quake, "but the true death toll is likely far higher," according to a news release issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday.

"The number of casualties continues to rise, fueled by military attacks as well as the lack of access to food, water, shelter and medical care," the release read.