“It happened after 1 pm yesterday when the students were leaving their college. We received information that the Muslims had stopped and insulted the school ferries,” said U Win Myaing, the official for information of the Arakan State government.

When asked for more detail about the attacks, he said, “The busses are arranged only for the students and not for any public. The problem has risen because they attacked those busses, but it could be contained after security forces were sent there.”

The Muslim villagers are reportedly from Rwagree, Rwangay, and Kadunpaikrwa Villages near Raychanpyin where the college is situated.

“When we were leaving our school, we found the villagers holding sticks and machetes running towards us. We were then just on the road outside our college and we ran back into our campus desperately. The campus was then very noisy with shouts and cries of the female students asking for help. We heard that there were clashes between a group of Muslims and personnel of GE on the road ahead of our college,” said a student of the college.

A female teacher of the college also said she was in a three-wheeler taxi that was attacked by the group.

“Now we feel we have no security at all. We had to run for our lives when the Muslims came and attacked our taxi. The driver was injured by the attack. I am now very afraid and will not be able to continue my job at that college. I have decided to resign from my job,” said the teacher.

U Win Myaing denied information that an incident was started with the soldiers, saying that no one was injured in the attack.

Concerning security for the students, he said, “There are security guards inside the campus of the college, but there is no security on the roads going to the college. We are now planning to step up security along the road starting from tomorrow.”

It was alleged that there were nearly 300 villagers who attacked the school ferries of Sittwe Government Technical College.