Sectarian Violence Returns To Burma

Sectarian Violence Erupts In Eastern Burma -- Voice of America

Officials in eastern Burma said the city of Lashio is calm Wednesday as it recovers from the latest outburst of violence between Buddhists and Muslims.

State media say rioting began Tuesday following reports that a Muslim man had been arrested for setting fire to a Buddhist woman. A mob, including Buddhist monks, surrounded a police station where the man was held, demanding that he be turned over to them.

The mob then rampaged through the town, setting fire to Lashio's largest mosque, a Muslim school and several shops.

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More News On Burma's Growing Sectarian Violence

Curfew imposed over parts of Myanmar -- UPI
Northern Myanmar city calm after latest communal violence -- Reuters
Sectarian violence erupts in Myanmar -- Al Jazeera
Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes for second day in Myanmar; one dead -- Reuters
Burma Muslim-Buddhist clashes continue in Shan state -- BBC
Burma ethnic tensions rise after mosque and orphanage torched -- The Telegraph
Mosque, Orphanage Burned in New Burma Violence -- Time/AP
Fresh Communal Violence Erupts In Myanmar; Mob Attacks Muslim Targets After Buddhist Woman ‘Torched’ -- IBTimes
Buddhist Mobs Burn Mosque and Muslim School in Myanmar -- New York Times
Mosque, orphanage burned in Burma violence -- USA Today
Myanmar Town Torched in Sectarian Violence -- Wall Street Journal

Anti-Muslim Violence Flares Up In Myanmar

Myanmar Forces Restore Order After Latest Anti-Muslim Violence -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Hundreds of police and troops restored order in central Myanmar on Wednesday after a fresh outbreak of sectarian violence in which one man was killed after Buddhist mobs trashed property owned by Muslims following a minor street incident.

In all, 10 people were injured in Oakkan and nearby villages, just 60 miles north of the commercial capital Yangon, and one died of a head wound, the deputy police commissioner of Yangon, Thet Lwin, told Reuters.

Police arrested 18 people who had been charged with theft, assault and arson as well as gathering in a mob, he said.

"They are safe now and can go back to their homes," he said of Muslims who had been forced to flee into surrounding woods to escape the mobs.

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More News On Anti-Muslim In Myanmar

Anti-Muslim violence hits central Myanmar -- Al Jazeera
New anti-Muslim violence in central Myanmar injures 10, destroys mosques -- FOX News/AP
One killed in Burma Oakkan town religious violence -- BBC
One dead after new anti-Muslim riots in Myanmar -- Global Post/AFP
Latest Anti-Muslim Violence in Burma Kills 1, Injures 10 -- Voice of America
Myanmar Mobs Attack Mosques -- Wall Street Journal
Myanmar Muslims Face Uncertain Future After Attack -- ABC News/AP
Burma sectarian clashes erupt in Oakkan town -- The Guardian
Myanmar's solution to ethnic clashes is chilling: HRW -- Radio Australia
Fresh religious violence in Burma's Oakkan town -- BBC
Muslim victims of Myanmar unrest face uncertain future -- Reuters
Violence against Muslims in Myanmar displaces thousands (Photo Gallery) -- Mercury News

Video Reveals The Extent Of Sectarian Violence In Burma

Agony: A horrifying moment in the clip is when a man, almost certainly a Muslim, is seen rolling around on the ground having been set alight

'No Water For Him. Let Him Die': Horrifying Moment Burmese Buddhists Set Fire To Muslim Man In Riots Which Left 43 Dead -- Daily Mail

* The video was largely filmed by police in the town of Meiktila, Burma
* Intense bloodshed between Buddhists and Muslims last month
* Man is seen alive, but badly burned lying on the floor as police watch
* Sparked after row between Muslim shop owner and Buddhist customers
* HRW: Burmese authorities committed crimes against humanity

Horrifying footage has emerged of police officers standing by while Burmese Buddhist rioters set fire to a Muslim man.

The video was largely filmed by police in the city of Meiktila during intense clashes between a gang of Buddhists known as the '969 squad' and Muslims last month which left 43 people dead.

In the grainy footage posted on the internet a man - almost certainly a Muslim - is seen rolling around on the ground in agony after being set alight by an angry mob.

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WNU Editor: Another video

Human Rights Watch: Accuses Burma Of Ethnic Cleansing

Burma Carrying Out 'Policy Of Ethnic Cleansing' Against Muslims, Says Human Rights Agency -- The Telegraph

Human Rights Watch calls for an international inquiry into the violence in Burma as they release evidence that Burmese security forces organised and stood guard over Buddhist attacks on Muslim settlements before burying scores of bodies in mass graves.

Evidence of official involvement in the massacres that left hundreds dead was gathered by Human Rights Watch researchers at 27 different sites in Arakan State, including at four mass graves dug between June and October last year.

The report released today by Human Rights Watch is the most comprehensive evidence yet that the Burmese government colluded in a wave of ethnic attacks and was released just hours before the EU was due to drop sanctions on the Burmese regime as a reward for reformist pledges at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

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More News On Human Rights Watch Accusing Burma Of Ethnic Cleansing

HRW Accuses Burma of Ethnic Cleansing -- Voice of America
Rights group accuses Myanmar of 'ethnic cleansing' -- CNN
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack -- BBC
Burma violence: police look on as Buddhists wreck Muslim shop – video -- The Guardian
Report Says Myanmar Was Complicit in Anti-Muslim Violence -- International Herald Tribune
Myanmar Accused of Ethnic Cleansing as EU Meets on Sanctions -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Rights group blames Myanmar authorities for Muslim killings -- Euronews
Advocacy Group Blasts Myanmar Over Anti-Muslim Violence -- Wall Street Journal
Burmese government accused of complicity in 'ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya -- The Independent
Report documents 'Rohingya persecution' -- Al Jazeera
Myanmar's ruler to get peace prize, despite 'ethnic cleansing' charge -- Christian Science Monitor
What Do The Communal Riots In Myanmar Indicate? – Analysis -- Eurasia Review

Human Rights Watch Critical Of Myanmar Government's Response To Sectarian Violence

Burma Urged to Prosecute Perpetrators of Sectarian Unrest -- Voice of America

BANGKOK — Burma is being urged to hold accountable those responsible for sectarian violence in March, mainly targeted at Muslims, that left at least 43 people dead, dozens injured, and thousands homeless. The attacks shook Muslim communities and raised concerns about sectarian unrest spreading.

A dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and a Buddhist customer in central Burma's Meiktila township escalated into three days of mob violence, mainly against the Muslim population.

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More News On The Sectarian Unrest In Burma

Before and after photographs show extent of anti-Muslim violence in Burma -- The Times
Entire Neighborhoods Burned To The Ground In Myanmar Violence -- Business Insider
Human Rights Watch says Myanmar gov’t must act strongly to stop attacks on Muslim community -- Washington Post/AP
Myanmar destruction troubles rights group -- UPI
Human rights group seeks Myanmar inquiry -- UPI
Myanmar police failed to stop killing, arson: HRW -- AFP
Myanmar needs a concerted way to respond to riots -- Eric Randolph, The National

Buddhist-Muslim Violence Spreads In Burma -- News Updates March 25, 2013

Sectarian Violence Continues in Burma -- Voice of America

Sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims in central Burma is spreading, despite a state of emergency and the deployment of security forces.

The latest violence occurred Sunday in towns south of Meikhtila, the city worst hit by rioting and arson.

On Saturday, Burma's army took control of Meikhtila, about 130 kilometers north of the administrative capital of Naypyidaw. Officials say more than 20 people have been killed in that city.

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More News On The Spreading Buddhist-Muslim Violence In Burma

Burma communal rioting spreads outside Meiktila -- BBC
Burma communal violence spreads -- The Guardian
Myanmar violence spreading -- UPI
Buddhist-Muslim Violence Spreads in Burma -- Time/AP
Myanmar government struggles to contain anti-Muslim hostility -- Reuters
Worries Over Violence Prompt Shutdown in Myanmar -- New York Times
Tensions persist between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar -- CNN
Myanmar government warns religious violence could threaten democratic reforms -- Washington Post/AP
Riot-hit Myanmar urges end to 'religious extremism' -- Global Post/AFP
Ma Kyi, displaced by Myanmar violence: “Everything was on fire” -- IRIN

Burma Army Impose Uneasy Calm In Riot Hit City

Troops Impose Uneasy Calm On Violence-Torn Myanmar City -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Hundreds of troops kept an uneasy calm in central Myanmar on Saturday after martial law was imposed to quell three days of bloody unrest between Buddhists and Muslims that is testing the country's nascent democracy.

The official death toll in the worst-affected town of Meikhtila stands at 11 dead, although local estimates put it as much as four times higher.

Burned corpses still lay uncollected by the roads on Saturday, said Reuters reporters in the city 540 km (336 miles) north of the commercial capital Yangon.

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Previous Post: Sectarian Clashes Trigger State of Emergency In Burma

More News On The Sectarian Violence In Burma

Burma army patrols central city after violence -- CBC/AP
Myanmar sends in military to end unrest -- Sydney Morning Herald
Burma Army Patrols Riot-Struck City -- Voice of America
Soldiers patrol riot-hit Myanmar town -- Asia One/AFP
Myanmar Troops Sent to City Torn by Sectarian Rioting -- New York Times
Armed Buddhists, including monks, clash with Muslims in Myanmar -- CNN
Myanmar riots stoke fears of widening sectarian violence -- Reuters
Ethnic violence erupts in Burma leaving scores dead -- The Guardian

Sectarian Clashes Trigger State of Emergency In Burma

In Burma, Sectarian Clashes Trigger State Of Emergency -- Voice Of America

Burma's government has declared a state of emergency in a central region where three days of Buddhist-Muslim clashes have left at least 20 people dead.

Witnesses reported seeing charred bodies in the streets Friday and flames billowing from buildings, including mosques, in the town of Meiktila.

Win Htein, a member of parliament from Meiktila, told VOA he saw victims lying in the streets and rioters burning property and looting Muslim homes.

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More News On The Sectarian Violence In Burma

Burma: State of emergency imposed in Meiktila -- BBC
State of Emergency Declared in Central Burma After Religious Riot -- Time
Myanmar Seeks to Contain Clashes -- Wall Street Journal
Burma Sending Army to Quell Sectarian Fighting -- Voice of America
Myanmar Troops Sent to City Torn by Sectarian Rioting -- New York Times
Myanmar riots stoke fears of widening sectarian violence -- Reuters
Deadly riots continue in central Myanmar -- Al Jazeera
Ethnic violence erupts in Burma leaving scores dead -- The Guardian
Armed Buddhist monks clash with Muslims in Myanmar -- CNN
Muslims flee after riots in Burma town -- Scotsman
Myanmar riots raise concerns about escalating sectarian tensions -- Christian Science Monitor

More Religious Violence In Burma

Courtesy: Mayu Press

Burma Town Under Curfew after Religious Violence -- Voice of America

BANGKOK — Authorities in Burma have put a town under curfew after violent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims left at least 10 people dead, including a Buddhist monk. Tensions have been simmering in Burma since communal clashes last year killed nearly 200 people and left more than 100,000 homeless.

Burma authorities say a nighttime curfew in the town of Meikhtila will remain in place after a second day of violent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims.

Hundreds of people rioted Wednesday, setting fire to shops and damaging at least two Muslim religious buildings.

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More News On Religious Violence In Myanmar

Buddhists and Muslims clash in central Burma town -- BBC
New curfew declared after 10 killed in central Myanmar riots -- Reuters
Violence erupts in Myanmar, 10 killed -- UPI
Communal in Violence in Burma Leaves 10 Dead; Mosque Burned -- Voice of America
At least 10 dead in Myanmar riots: MP -- Global Post/AFP
5 people dead, mosque torched as religious rioting continues in central Myanmar town -- Washington Post/AP
Sectarian Clashes Are Reported in Central Myanmar -- New York Times

China Escalates Arms Shipments To The Burmese Rebel Group The United Wa State Army

Image from Wars in the World.

With Burma in Mind, China Quietly Supports Wa Rebels -- Voice of America

BANGKOK — While Burma's military steps up battles against Kachin rebels along the border with China, security analysts say Beijing has been quietly selling advanced weapons to another insurgent group on its border, the United Wa State Army. The Wa are the largest militia in Burma and considered the biggest narcotics dealing organization in Southeast Asia.

Burma's military airstrikes and mortar attacks on Kachin rebels in recent weeks raised international concerns about the government's peace efforts. The heavy fighting in Burma's north is the worst since a 17-year cease-fire with the Kachin Independence Army broke down in 2011.

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My Comment: Every country that has a border (land or marine) with China finds itself in dispute with China over their borders. Does someone see a trend here.

Burma Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi Refuses To Intervene In Burma's Ethnic Violence

Aung San Suu Kyi Refuses To Take Sides In Burma Ethnic Violence -- Voice of America

Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has urged tolerance in response to a wave of ethnic violence in the west of the country, but says she will not take sides.

In an interview with the BBC Saturday, the Nobel Peace laureate said she does “not think one should use one's moral leadership” to promote a particular cause without looking into the sources of the problem.

She says advocates of both sides are displeased with her, but says the rule of law should be established as a first step before looking into other problems.

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Update: Suu Kyi says cannot back Myanmar's Rohingya: BBC -- AFP

My Comment: This is a disappointment. Even the Dalai Lama has come out asking Aung San Suu Kyi to use her considerable influence to assist the Rohingyas in Burma’s Rakhine province .... but she has chosen to stay out of a conflict that foreign observers have noticed is targeting the Muslim minority in the country.

Burma's Sectarian Violence -- News Updates October 31, 2012

Myanmar 'Rejects talks' On Ethnic Violence -- Al Jazeerea

ASEAN chief says offer turned down, even as tension between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims simmers in Rakhine state.

Myanmar has rejected an offer by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to open talks aimed at quelling deadly communal violence there, according to the regional bloc's chief.

Surin Pitsuwan said on Tuesday he proposed setting up tripartite talks between ASEAN, the UN and Myanmar's government to prevent the violence from having a broader regional impact.

But he said Myanmar turned down the offer to discuss the bloodshed in the western Rakhine state that has led to about 180 deaths since June.

The bloodshed has pitted Buddhists against minority Rohingya Muslims.

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More News On The Sectarian Violence In Burma

Survivors criticize Myanmar government over Buddhist-Muslim clashes that displaced 28,000 -- Washington Post/AP
3,000 Muslims stranded as Bangladesh turns away refugees fleeing Burma unrest -- The Telegraph
Bangladesh turns away Rohingya fleeing Myanmar unrest -- AFP
Myanmar says it has evidence communal violence was organized by groups and individuals -- Washington Post/AP
Myanmar unrest could develop into 'terrorism': govt -- AFP
Many Rohingya missing as boat sinks off Bangladesh -- BBC
At least 130 Burmese refugees drown in shipwreck -- The Guardian
130 fleeing Burma violence feared dead as boat sinks -- Independent
130 missing in Rohingya boat sinking: Bangladesh police -- AFP
Myanmar must protect Muslims and halt discrimination, UN says -- Reuters
ASEAN chief: Rohingya issue could destabilize the region -- Jakarta Post

Sectarian Violence Continues In Burma

Burma map, state of Rakhine

As Burma Violence Continues, Warnings Of Broader Instability -- Voice of America

BANGKOK — Authorities in Burma say they are working to restore calm to western Rakhine state after a week of sectarian violence left nearly 100 people dead, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced 30,000 people, the vast majority of them Muslim. Amid reports of continuing clashes, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has expressed concern the instability could spread.

Burma officials on Tuesday said thousands of security officers are trying to restore order in western Rakhine state, following clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.

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More News On The Religious/Sectarian Violence In Burma

Fear, mistrust grip Myanmar's volatile Rakhine region -- Reuters
Survivors Criticize Myanmar Gov't Over Clashes -- ABC News/AP
Rights groups want access to Rakhine state -- UPI
Myanmar camps overwhelmed after fresh unrest: UN -- AFP
U.N. Says 28,000 Displaced in Burma Ethnic Clashes -- Time/AP
Myanmar fighting kills 84, displaces at least 22,500 -- CNN
Burma violence: 20,000 displaced in Rakhine state -- BBC
More than 22,000 forced to flee Burma after worst sectarian violence in years, UN says -- The Telegraph
ASEAN Chief: Burma Unrest Could Radicalize Rohingya Muslims -- Voice of America
Myanmar unrest threatens to destabilize democracy and region -- Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor
Setback for Burma -- Telegraph editorial

Thousands Flee Escalating Sectarian Conflict In Burma

Fleeing Muslims Seek Food, Shelter After Myanmar Sectarian Chaos -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Boatloads of Muslims struggled to reach refugee camps and sought safety on islands and in coastal villages on Saturday as Myanmar tried to put out the fires of a week of sectarian unrest that has shaken its fragile democratic transition.

Dozens of rickety wooden vessels packed with the stateless Rohingya Muslims who fled clashes with Buddhists in western Rakhine state had reached land by Saturday after two days at sea, but nine boats were still unaccounted for, according to several Rohingya refugee sources reached by telephone.

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More News On Myanmar's Sectarian Chaos

Burma's leader admits deadly attacks on Muslims -- The Guardian
Burma destruction widespread after ethnic clashes -- CBC
Burmese government accused of failing to stop anti-Muslim violence -- The Telegraph
Dozens Are Killed in Myanmar as Sectarian Violence Flares Again -- New York Times
Global Concerns Grow Over the Muslim-Buddhist Conflicts in Myanmar -- Wall Street Journal
Burma acknowledges mass burnings in Rakhine unrest -- BBC
Burma satellite images show destruction in Rakhine state -- BBC
Human rights groups decry Myanmar ethnic strife -- AP
Myanmar Muslims call off Eid celebrations -- CNN

Sectarian Battles Continue In Burma

Burma Rakhine Clashes Death Toll At 56 - State Officials -- BBC

At least 56 people have been killed and hundreds of homes torched since Sunday, as clashes spread in Burma's Rakhine state, officials say.

Several were killed overnight as violence erupted despite a night-time curfew in at least two towns.

The latest clashes are the first serious outburst of violence since June when a state of emergency was declared in Rakhine after 90 people were killed.

But tensions remained high between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims.

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More News On Burma's Sectarian Clashes

Sectarian Violence Escalates in Myanmar -- Wall Street Journal
Myanmar steps up security after sectarian clashes kill 50 -- CNN
56 dead as Myanmar's Rakine state explodes again -- South China Morning Post
56 dead, thousands of homes burned amid ethnic violence in Burma -- FOX News/AP
Deadly sectarian violence continues in Myanmar -- Deutsche Welle
Bangladesh steps up patrols on Myanmar border -- AFP

Burma Accused Of A 'Campaign Of Violence' Against Rohingya Muslims

A Rakhine man holds homemade weapons as he walks in front of houses that were burnt during fighting between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in Sittwe

Government Forces Killed, Raped Rohingya In Myanmar, Report Says -- L.A. Times

In Myanmar, government forces stood by while Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists were slain in devastating rounds of violence and retribution, then joined in by killing, raping and rounding up the Rohingya, Human Rights Watch said in a new report on the devastating sectarian attacks.

As the long-isolated country takes steps toward reform and gains increasing acceptance abroad, human rights activists and analysts have warned that ethnic tensions are one of its most stubborn problems and must be addressed before the country can forge a sustainable peace.

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More News On The Report From Human Rights Watch On Myanmar (Burma)

Human rights group says Myanmar forces failed to halt violence and targeted Muslim Rohingya -- Washington Post/AP
'Campaign of violence' in Burma state - rights group -- BBC
Rights Group Slams Burmese Military on Rohingya Violence -- Voice of America
Rohingya Muslims "persecuted" after Myanmar crackdown - report -- Reuters
Burma slammed by US Human Rights group -- SKY News
Human Rights Watch cites 'atrocities' in Myanmar -- CBS
Burma Rejects UN Criticism of Riot Response -- Voice of America