Burma declares emergency in unrest-hit state

A state of emergency was declared on Sunday in Burma's western Rakhine state, official media said, amid fears of further unrest following an eruption of deadly sectarian violence.

Buddhist monks demonstrate at the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon

 

State television said an order had been signed into effect by President Thein Sein in response to clashes that saw hundreds of Buddhist villagers' homes set ablaze and left seven dead in rioting on Friday and Saturday.

The order was effective "until (a) further order", according to the report, which said it was "intended to restore security and stability to the people immediately".

"The unrest and terrorist acts have been increasing," it said.

The conflict threatens to undermine the reforms of Burma's new government, which took power last year following decades of outright military rule.

Rakhine state is named for its dominant, mostly Buddhist ethnic group but is also home to a large Muslim population including the Rohingya, a stateless people described by the UN as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.



The Burma government considers the Rohingya foreigners and not one of the nation's ethnic groups, while many citizens see them as them illegal immigrants and view them with hostility.

Source: AFP