Burmese security forces fired warning shots in the air to disperse a crowd who reportedly intended to attack a besieged a Muslim ward in Sittwe on Oct. 12, according to local residents.
The incident, which took place at 8 p.m., only one day after a curfew was lifted, happened after rumors spread that Muslims from Aung Mingala ward were going to attack Buddhist Arakanese in downtown Sittwe, according to U Aung Mra Kyaw, member of Arakan state parliament.
“What really happened was Muslims crossed the main road at around 7 p.m. because the curfew was restricted. This led some Arakanese Buddhist to get suspicious so they went to see what they were up to. When they arrived, the Muslims knocked out several street lights and ran back to Aung Mingala ward. Afterward, a crowd surrounded the ward,” said U Aung Mra Kyaw.
Eye witnesses reported that a large crowd assembled beside the ward, and security forces fired around 20 bullets into air as a warning.
“The crowd quickly dispersed after the warning shots were fired by security forces. Now the situation has calmed down and everything is normal again,” said U Aung Mra Kyaw, shortly after the incident took place.
According to a report from Rakhine Straight Views, authorities arrested six-people including two-monks and several motorcycles were seized.
When contacted by Narinjara, Sittwe police refused to confirm any details regarding the incident.
Aung Min Gala, also known as Inbala, is the only remaining Muslim ward in Sittwe’s downtown area. Some Arakanese Buddhists in Sittwe have demanded that authorities relocate the Muslims to outside of Sittwe, which they claim will help to avoid violent confrontations between Buddhists and Muslims in the future.
