YANGON - Myanmar on Saturday lifted a state of emergency imposed four months ago in the Mandalay region to control sectarian violence that claimed at least 44 lives.
President Thein Sein said "peace and stability have already been restored" in the townships of Meiktila, Mahlaing, Wundwin and Thazi in the central Meiktila District, in a statement oublished in The New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The emergency was declared on March 22 after an anti-Muslim riot broke out, sparked by an altercation between a Buddhist couple and a Muslim shop owner.
The violence quickly spread to neighbouring towns, claiming at least 44 dead, according to the government. Other sources suggested the death toll may have exceeded 100.
Staurday's decision followed the sentencing of 25 Buddhists and seven Muslims to jail for their participation in the violence.
Last year, communal violence claimed up to 167 lives in the western state of Rakhine, and displaced up to 140,000 people, most of them Rohingya Muslims.
At least three anti-Muslim riots have broken out in central and northern Myanmar this year, the worst in Mandalay.
The Muslim minority represents about 5% of the population, according to government estimates.
Share this article
Bangkok Post online classifieds
Try buying selling goods and properties 24/7 in our classifieds which has high purchasing power local expatriate audience from within Thailand and around the world.
Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/20/myanmar-lifts-emergency-2/
No comments:
Post a Comment