Sectarian violence kills 20 in Myanmar
Source: Agencies |
March 23, 2013, Saturday
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Mobs set fire to Muslim homes and mosques in frenzied sectarian rioting in a town in central Myanmar, leaving at least 20 people dead and more than 6,000 homeless amid growing fears yesterday that the latest bout of Muslim-Buddhist bloodshed could spread.
Acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Myanmar President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in Meikhtila in an announcement broadcast on state television yesterday afternoon. The declaration allows the military to take over administrative functions in and around the town.
The scenes in Meikhtila, where homes and at least five mosques have been torched by angry mobs, were reminiscent of sectarian violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya that shook western Rakhine state last year, killing hundreds of people and driving more than 100,000 from their homes.
The clashes in Meikhtila, which was tense but calm yesterday, are the first reported in central Myanmar since then.
Troubles began on Wednesday after an argument broke out between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers. A Buddhist monk was among the first killed, inflaming tensions that led a Buddhist mob to rampage through a Muslim neighborhood.
Violence continued on Thursday, and by yesterday, Win Htein, a local lawmaker from the opposition National League for Democracy, said he had counted at least 20 bodies. He said 1,200 Muslim families - at least 6,000 people - have fled their homes and taken refuge at a stadium and a police station.
Police seized knives, swords, hammers and sticks from young men in the streets and detained scores of looters yesterday.
Fires set to Muslim homes continued to burn, but angry Buddhist residents and monks prevented authorities from putting out the blazes.
It was difficult to determine the extent of destruction because residents were too afraid to walk around and were sheltering in monasteries or other locations away from violence.
"We don't feel safe, and we have now moved inside a monastery," said Sein Shwe, a shop owner. "The situation is unpredictable and dangerous."
The UN secretary-general's special adviser to Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, issued a statement expressing "deep sorrow at the tragic loss of lives and destruction."
He said religious and community leaders must "publicly call on their followers to abjure violence, respect the law and promote peace."
Acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Myanmar President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in Meikhtila in an announcement broadcast on state television yesterday afternoon. The declaration allows the military to take over administrative functions in and around the town.
The scenes in Meikhtila, where homes and at least five mosques have been torched by angry mobs, were reminiscent of sectarian violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya that shook western Rakhine state last year, killing hundreds of people and driving more than 100,000 from their homes.
The clashes in Meikhtila, which was tense but calm yesterday, are the first reported in central Myanmar since then.
Troubles began on Wednesday after an argument broke out between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers. A Buddhist monk was among the first killed, inflaming tensions that led a Buddhist mob to rampage through a Muslim neighborhood.
Violence continued on Thursday, and by yesterday, Win Htein, a local lawmaker from the opposition National League for Democracy, said he had counted at least 20 bodies. He said 1,200 Muslim families - at least 6,000 people - have fled their homes and taken refuge at a stadium and a police station.
Police seized knives, swords, hammers and sticks from young men in the streets and detained scores of looters yesterday.
Fires set to Muslim homes continued to burn, but angry Buddhist residents and monks prevented authorities from putting out the blazes.
It was difficult to determine the extent of destruction because residents were too afraid to walk around and were sheltering in monasteries or other locations away from violence.
"We don't feel safe, and we have now moved inside a monastery," said Sein Shwe, a shop owner. "The situation is unpredictable and dangerous."
The UN secretary-general's special adviser to Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, issued a statement expressing "deep sorrow at the tragic loss of lives and destruction."
He said religious and community leaders must "publicly call on their followers to abjure violence, respect the law and promote peace."
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