An emergency act that forbids gatherings of more than 5 people in Maungdaw is being applied to Muslims and not Buddhist even though both are celebrating religious holidays. The emergency act 144 was implemented last week after Nasaka (Burma’s notorious border guard force) was abolished and replaced with a central police force.
Thousands of Buddhist Rakhines were able to celebrate the beginning of Waso Full Moon holiday. However, Muslims are still forbidden from gathering, or entering their temples, during Ramadan; the holiest Islamic holiday.
U Aung Myint Soe, district administration officer and U Kyi San, township administration, “ordered security to watch” mosques and madaras to make sure no-one tries to “enter” the buildings, a Maungdaw official told the Kaladanpress on condition of anonymity.
“The emergency act 144 is only to control the Rohingya Muslim in northern Arakan to oppress them whenever the authority wish with this act.”
President U Thein Sein delivered a speech to the Interfaith Friendship Group and Myanmar National Human Rights Commission recently. Both groups should “cooperate with the government” in order “to take responsibility” that the country’s image is “not to be tarnished”. “The conflict between the two communities in the country is being exaggerated” by “racial and religious conflict” and “regional and international issues in an attempt to bring it to the UN” according to a statement on a presidential website.
However “the constitution of the country includes provisions to give protection to the four major religions including Islam and Myanmar does not accept racial discrimination”, the president said.
A Maungdaw student told the Kaladanpress that the president claims that there is no religious discrimination in the constitution but in Arakan state the government still controls the Mosques and Madaras (Islamic schools).
Meanwhile some mosques have been reopened in Lashio and Meikhtila.
