The authority has tighten the security net in many villages under Pauk Taw township, 30 miles east of Arakan capital city, Sittwe after the murder of two individuals in separate incidents, said the police and local administration officers.
“One column of Burma Army and police personnel have been deployed in our village to enhance the security of the area after one woman belonged to our village was killed by a group Muslim refugees from Sin Thet Maw IDP camp,” said U Aye Tun Thein, the village chief of Sin Ai.
A group of Rakhine women was attacked by some inmates from Sin Thet Maw Muslim refugee camp with swords & javelins on 2 November 2013 afternoon, while they were searching for molluscs and shellfishes near the shore line of a river bank.
A local woman named Ma Hla Khin (38 years old), who was the mother of four children from Sin Ai village died on the spot after the attack. Another lady Ma May Than Khine, 17 was critically injured during the attack and she is now under treatment in Sittwe general hospital.
According to local sources, the attack was seemingly a retaliation of Muslim people after the killing of a Muslim individual named Zaw Ru Saung from Don Wra village by the security forces in early hours of the day.
The villager administrator of Sin That Maw village informed that nearly 50 Muslim villagers clashed with a battalion of security forces at around 9 in the morning of 2 November after the security personnel prevented them in cutting down of several teak trees illegally, which was actually planted by the Rakhine villagers living in the surrounding localities of a pagoda.
Initially the security forces tried to convince the Muslim villagers not to cut down the trees but they did not comply with it and started disputing with the security personnel. The debate turned violent and finally the security forces shot at the mob to disperse, resulting in the killing of Zaw Ru Saung and injuries to few others. Just after the incident, a small group of Muslim people from Sin Thet Maw refugee camp attacked the group of Rakhine women who were looking for shellfishes in a river bank.
U Thet Tun Aung, a representative of Arakan Parliament from Pauk Taw township, confirmed the news and added that the authority had already beefed up the security measures in the area to avoid any unwanted incidents.
A police officer from Pauk Taw police station told Narinjara over telephone that a number of police personnel were deployed in the localities to ensure the security of the residents since the incidents of killings took place.
