Located in the far west of Kachin state, Hpakant's lucrative jade mines draw thousands of workers and business people from across Burma. Hpakant, which was once sparsely populated, is also home to a large community of Muslim traders that over the years have migrated from other parts of the country.

 On Thursday evening, a group of about 30 people threw stones at Muslim owned homes and shops. "We couldn't do anything except watch while they destroyed our shop... we will leave for a while. We have no idea how we should move forward," one Muslim woman told Agence France Presse. She didn’t think they were from the area.

 The anti-Muslim violence in Hpakant follows similar incidents that broke out earlier this year in Meiktila, in Mandalay Division, and Okkan, located about 100 km north of Rangoon. Although most Kachin are Christian, Kachin state it’s is also home to a large Buddhist population, as well Muslim and Hindu communities residing across the state.

On April 12 of last year, construction of a Muslim mosque in Hpakant was suspended after a group of monks and their supporters protested. According to eyewitnesses, a group of about 30 monks and dozens of their followers went to the construction site in the Shan Kone quarter of Seng Tawng town at 4 pm and demanded that the construction of the mosque be stopped. The group then set about taking down what had already been built. Within 8 hours most of the building was destroyed. The construction site was placed under guard by Burma army soldiers that had failed to do anything when it was destroyed.

 The monks and supporters alleged that the mosque was being built without proper permits and decided to take matters into their own hands, according to local residents who spoke to the Kachin News Group shortly after the incident took place.

 In Burma government authorities often delay or refuse permits for the construction of new churches and mosques - many of which are in limbo while waiting for proper permits cannot be obtained.