The Rakhine State Government has declared an emergency in Sittwe after crowds attacked offices of global relief agency, Malteser International, U Oo Thar Pwint, a lawyer in the city and a member of the Du Chee Yar Tan Investigation Commission, told Mizzima on March 27.
Reports from Sittwe said the disturbances began on March 26 after an American staff member of Malteser International put a Buddhist flagin the back pocket of her pants, behaviour regarded by Buddhists as extremely insulting.
Rumours about the incident spread and crowds surrounded the house of the aid worker as well as Malteser International offices in the city.
U Oo Thar Pwint said stones were thrown at six Malteser International offices on March 26 and the next day two of the international non-government organisation’s offices were damaged.
“Security personnel took all INGO staff in Sittwe to the airport at 2 pm or placed them under the protection of the State Government,” U Oo Thar Pwint said. He said only staff with the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, had remained in Sittwe.
“The authorities shut down roads that house INGO offices, but people are still gathering in the streets,” said U Oo Thar Pwint.
Leaders of the Arakan National Party, a merger between the Arakan League for Democracy and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Part, the Sittwe Women’s Association and Buddhist monks worked in cooperation with the State Government to try to calm the situation after the emergency was declared.
