Security forces have been deployed in Lashio following communal riots that erupted in the town on May 28, in which one man died and five people were seriously injured.
Five security groups have been deployed, which include township administrative officers, police officers, the army and monks,” said Wai Lin, the deputy director of information and public relations in Lashio.
Two reporters were also attacked during the riots. Freelance reporter Kun Zaw told Mizzima that, “I got beaten. I got a head injury and my friend got hit by a metal rod on his back. The attackers took our camera memory card.”
A curfew has been imposed in the town under Section 144 while police and army forces have been deployed to the region.
Upper House MP Sai San Min from the Shan White Tiger Party said, “Peace has been restored in the security guarded areas, but there are still some movements in the outskirts of the city.”
Local people said that all the shops in Lashio Myo Ma Market were closed on May 29, but the situation was stable by the morning of May 30.
Sixty million kyat (US$65,000) of damage was caused by fire and damage by rioters, authorities estimate.
A mosque and a Muslim orphanage, as well as several public and private shops and warehouses were destroyed during the riots.
