Buddhists and Muslims clash in central Burma town

[Zabaniyah]

Reports from Burma say deadly rioting has taken place between Muslims and Buddhists in a central town.

At least 10 people were reported killed and mosques burned in Meiktila town, south of Mandalay, which has a large Muslim population.

Officials declared a curfew overnight in the wake of the violence.

This appears to be the most serious sectarian clash since almost 200 people were killed last year in unrest in the western state of Rakhine.

What began as an argument in a gold shop escalated quickly, with mobs setting mainly Muslim buildings alight, including some mosques, and fighting in the streets between men from the rival communities, says the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head.

While the fighting was said to have stopped, several areas of the town were still on fire, according to reports.

Win Htein, a member of the opposition National League of Democracy party, told Agence-France Presse that "more than 10 people were killed".

"The situation is getting worse. The police cannot control the people. There are groups of people on the streets with knives and sticks," a local resident also told AFP.

One of those who died was a Buddhist monk who suffered severe burns on Wednesday, police say.

A local official has been quoted as saying that relations between Muslims and the Buddhist majority have been strained by ethnic violence in Rakhine state.

Conflict erupted in Rakhine last year involving Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Burmese citizens.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21873978

State of emergency imposed in Meiktila:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21894339

 

[Screambowl]

Yeah Even i heard in the news, I just hope this doesn't start again like the last time among the two communities.

 

[Wright]

Bhuddists are very imperialistic and seldom get along with other religions.

 

[Zabaniyah]

Bhuddists are very imperialistic and seldom get along with other religions.

I grew up in some Buddhist majority nations.

Me thinks what you say isn't true

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Bhuddists are very imperialistic and seldom get along with other religions.

Religious imperialism is no religion's monopoly as long as you have bigoted and imperialist rulers.

 

[Voxx]

one Questions is also there , Why such big scale Riots are happing against Muslims ? not Christens or Hindus etc..

 

[Bobby]

Not again............................

 

[Zabaniyah]

one Questions is also there , Why such big scale Riots are happing against Muslims ? not Christens or Hindus etc..

No idea.

Interestingly, the previous riots occurred in the eastern state of Rakhine. This one occurred in Mandalay, central part of Myanmar.

People say that what happened in Rakhine were ethnic tensions between Rohingyas and Arakanese.

The Muslims living in the central parts of the country are mostly Panthays - Chinese-origin Muslims.

 

[Ayush]

here we go...again...

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Bhuddists are very imperialistic and seldom get along with other religions.

 

[KRAIT]

Already Posted.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/central-south-asia/241569-sectarian-violence-myanmar.html

Mods merge these threads. @Aeronaut

 

[Kaniska]

Bhuddists are very imperialistic and seldom get along with other religions.

No...my impression is that Budhist are the most peaceful people among other religion....

 

[Mattrixx]

No...my impression is that Budhist are the most peaceful people among other religion....

My impression is "Buddhists were peaceful".

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Shame on the OIC countries (us included) for remaining silent the way we do even on some internal matters. Utter shame.

No...my impression is that Budhist are the most peaceful people among other religion....

I heard about hindu-Buddhist communalism as well. Are the Hindus to blame also for that violence

 

[Kazhugu]

Shame on the OIC countries (us included) for remaining silent the way we do even on some internal matters. Utter shame.

so tamilians protesting on buddhist violence in lanka is bad but in case of myanmar ,OIC should interfere....

they myanmarese should throw these terrorists into the bay of bengal......