Police in Rakhine State have announced that they will begin arresting anyone violating a curfew in Sittwe from the end of the month, the United States embassy said in a “security message” for American citizens issued on May 14.
“Rakhine State Police have announced that beginning May 31, they will arrest persons who do not abide by the curfew currently in effect in Sittwe from 9:00pm to 5:00am daily,” said the message, emailed to Americans who have registered with the embassy.
It said that while there were no known specific threats against US citizens in Rakhine, the police announcement had prompted the embassy to reiterate advice issued on March 29 for Americans to avoid travel to the state, “except the tourist resort of Ngapali via Thandwe airport”.
A 6pm to 6am curfew was imposed in Sittwe on March 27 after the offices and warehouses of United Nations agencies and international humanitarian organisations in the state capital were damaged in rioting triggered by the disrespectful handling of a Buddhist flag by a foreign aid worker.
The curfew has since been relaxed.
The unrest in late March followed rising tensions in the state over accusations by Buddhists that foreign humanitarian organisations were giving preferential treatment to the people who call themselves Rohingya.
The Rakhine government said on May 12 that 20 of the 23 international non-government organisations that suspended work after the March riots had returned to the state but it was unclear how many have resumed operations.
