Violence in IDP camps claims at least five lives
By Fiona MacGregor | Sunday, 11 August 2013Violence which broke out in Muslim IDP camps near Rakhine state capital Sittwe on Friday continued into the night, with five people reported dead and around a dozen others hospitalised with gun shot wounds by the end of the day.
Reporters in the camp were able to confirm the death of the fisherman and one other man, as well as the wounded who included a 13-year-old boy.
A community spokesman for camp residents said bodies of the other three reported dead had not been found.
The dead fisherman, who some camp police said had died in an accident and floated down river into the camp, had head injuries. The other confirmed fatality, a 25-year-old father of two, had been shot in the back.
According to his family he was leaving a protest in Baw Du Ba displacement camp where he lived when he was shot, and died within an hour.
"He was shouting 'it is too much this pain in my back' then he fell down dead," said the shot man's 27-year-old wife.
A resident of Baw Du Ba who witnessed the events that lead to the shootings there on Friday, said: "After the fisherman's body was found, five police arrived in our village at about 8am.
"Three of them moved onto Aun Daw Ji and at about 10 am we saw smoke coming from Aun Daw Ji. Later we received reports that four people had been shot dead there."
The man said residents in Baw Du Ba had the surrounded the two police trucks in their village and blocked the road with logs to prevent those vehicles leaving to join the others in Aun Daw Ji.
"At about six o'clock,, the police (in Baw Du Ba) opened fire and one man was killed and eight injured."
The man said the situation was calmed after the army arrived and told the camp residents that if they went back to their accommodation, the soldiers would ensure the police left the camp.
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