Myanmar sets curfew after fresh violence in west
An injured Rakhine Buddhist man lies on a bed at the hospital in Sittwe, capital of Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, after he was injured the day before in communal violence in the Mrauk U district of the state, on October 23, 2012.
Authorities in Myanmar have imposed a night-time curfew in two towns in north-western Rakhine state after fresh clashes between the region's Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas broke out, Reuters reported.
According to the LA Times, the clashes began on Sunday. At least two people are dead and hundred of houses have been lit on fire, state media said on Wednesday, however the death toll has been put higher by other sources.
This most recent wave of violence is some of the worst in the region since June, when skirmishes gained international attention following the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by three Muslim men, the Associated Press reported. At least 70,000 people have been displaced and dozens killed since then.
According to the AP, Rakhine state has been home to fighting between the two groups for decades. About 800,000 Rohingyas live along Myanmar's border with Bangladesh. Neither Bangladesh nor Myanmar, also known as Burma, recognizes the Rohingyas as citizens.
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