Violence in Burma’s Rakhine State Displaces 90,000

By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff Created: June 19, 2012 Last Updated: June 19, 2012

Related articles: World » South Asia

A resident walks past a destroyed building following days of sectarian violence in Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's western state of Rakhine on June 16. (STR/AFP/GettyImages)

More than 90,000 people have been displaced in the recent sectarian violence in Burma’s southwestern Rakhine State, also known as Arakan, the United Nations World Food Program said Tuesday.

The WFP said it had reached more than 66,000 people with emergency food rations during the past week, including distributing rice, beans, and cooking oil. It plans to increase efforts to reach more of the displaced population.

Violence between ethic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims essentially started on June 8 after a Buddhist woman was raped and murdered, which was blamed on Muslims. As a result, Buddhists reportedly killed 10 Muslims in retribution. The ensuing clashes have left at least 50 people dead and many homes were burned to the ground, according to estimates.

The government of Burma (also known as Myanmar) declared a state of emergency on June 10 but the violence has continued unabated.

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“The destruction of property appears to be widespread. Myanmar authorities indicate that as many as 1,600 houses may have been destroyed in the riots,” said Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson with the U.N.’s refugee agency.

On Monday, a court sentenced two Muslims to death for the rape and the murder, the BBC reported.

The region is very remote with poor bridges, roads, and infrastructure. The WFP reports that some people are very hard to reach and can only be accessed using small trucks.

Hundreds of Muslim refugees have tried to enter Bangladesh via boat but they have been turned back.

The U.N. has kept a “dialogue with the government of Bangladesh on the management of these arrivals,” Edwards said. Bangladesh, however, has kept the borders closed. On Tuesday alone, 139 people were pushed back by border authorities, said Edwards.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/violence-in-burma-s-rakhine-state-displaces-90-000-254328.html