Curfew Declared as Riots Erupt in Burmese City

MARCH 20, 2013— Authorities have imposed a curfew in central Burma's Meikhtila city after two people were killed and 20 others injured in riots triggered by a quarrel in a Muslim goldsmith's shop in the city's main bazaar, according to police and hospital sources.

Several shops in the bazaar were destroyed or burned down in the riots Wednesday believed to involve hundreds of residents in the city, located on the banks of Lake Meikhtila in Mandalay division, the sources said.

A 26-year-old male driver, identified as Than Myint Naing, and an unidentified monk were confirmed dead in the clashes, which broke out around 10:00 a.m. in the goldsmith shop, a city police officer told RFA's Burmese Service.

Police said at least one mosque was destroyed in the violence, some of the worst since ethnic clashes last year between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhist Rakhines in Rakhine state left at least 180 dead and thousands homeless.

It was not immediately clear whether the clashes in Meikhtila city were between Muslim and Buddhist communities.  

"The fight began after a villager and his wife tried to sell a golden hair pin at the goldsmith's shop," a police source said.

"An argument broke out over the price offered and the shop owner beat the customers, causing an uproar in the bazaar as the news of the argument spread quickly," the source said.

The villager was wounded and his sympathizers burned the goldsmith shop, according to the source.

Rights activists criticized the local police for standing idle as the riots broke out.

"According to witnesses, riot police just stood by as the clashes took place," said Min Ko Naing, a member of the 88 Generation democracy movement.

He asked whether some officials in charge of security turned a blind eye to the clashes in an attempt to create disorder and pave the way for a return to military rule.

"I guess there are people who do not want to see stability. We cannot afford to have military rule again," he said, referring to the decades of harsh rule under the previous military junta which gave up power two years ago to the nominally civilian government of President Thein Sein.

Reported by RFA's Burmese Service. Translated by Khin Maung Soe. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.

View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/burma/riots-03202013191111.html

Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave@rfanews.org.  To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join@rfanews.org .

#####

All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr@rfa.org.