Minbya, Arakan State: Burmese authorities have imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Minbya and Mrauk-U townships following a flare up of sectarian violence in Arakan State. According to local, who didn’t want their name used, hundreds of homes have been torched and many people were killed.
The violence that started on Oct. 21, at around 10:30 pm, quickly spread to Mrauk-U, and continued until Oct. 23. The curfew was implemented on Oct. 22, from 7 pm-5 am.
The central government declared a state of emergency on June 10, and imposed curfew in nine townships after riots ripped apart Rakhine State in June. But the curfew was lifted from Minbya and Mrauk-U after two-months.
According to Arakan State Attorney Gen. Hla Thein, one Rakhine and two Rohingya women were killed and more than 340 houses were destroyed in arson attacks. He claimed the violence in Minbya started after a Rohingya man fired his catapult at a Buddhist man, but the government stabilized the situation.
“The authorities say they have the situation under control, but there it’s still going on. Rohingyas are fleeing their villages to save their lives,” said a Minbya school teacher who didn’t want her name used.
The morning of the third day, about 50 houses were burnt down in a village in Mrauk-U Town, according to a police on spoke on condition of anonymity.
Many people have fled, according to a Kyaukpru villager.
“More than 1,500 Rohingyas are floating in boat in the sea with nowhere to go.”
According to U Hla Thein, the Rakhine state chief and justice “it’s difficult to control the situation”.
Meanwhile the new quasi-civilian government has rejected accusations that the security forces are targeting Muslims in Rakhine State.
The UN described the Rohingyas as “one most persecuted minorities on the planet”.
According to an Mrauk –U youth, Rohingyas’ are “facing tight restrictions” on their movement and being confined to their villages.
President Thein Sein said, on Oct. 21, the country will accept foreign aid for victims of the communal violence.
