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Burmas VP says racial, religious tensions caused Rakhine

unrest

Thursday, 02 August 2012 13:16 Mizzima News

Burmese Vice President Sai Mauk Kham has told a government committee coordinating relief inRakhine State that violence there was based on racial and religious tensions and a long-term

solution was needed.

He said a solution should be tackledcarefully as there is an unbalanced

population ratio. Bengalis constitute94 per cent and Rakhine nationals six

percent of the population in

Maungtaw and Buthidaung, the two

communities which suffered the mostin the recent unrest.

According to a report in The New

Light of Myanmar, the state-run

newspaper, on Tuesday he said it is

important to maintain security and

regional peace and stability in orderto allow development to be carried

out in the area. Rakhine State is one

of the poorest areas of Burma.

Muslim governments and human

rights groups have criticized Burmas response to the sectarian unrest in recent weeks, and a

Human Rights Watch report on Wednesday said government security forces have undertakensystematic abuses against Rohingya Muslims, including murder, beatings, arbitrary arrest and

other abuses.

Sai Kham said the government has been cooperating with domestic and international non-

governmental organizations by opening relief camps providing shelters, food and healthcare

services. Relief groups have called for greater access to the area and full access to Rohingya

communities.

On Thursday, United Nations Human Rights Envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana is completing a two-

day tour of Rakhine State on a fact-finding mission.

On Monday, the government said it had exercised maximum restraint in order to restore law and

order in those particular places in Rakhine state, in a foreign ministry statement.

The statement rejected the accusation that abuses and excessive use of force were made by the

Burma's Vice President Sai Mauk Kham Photo: President's office

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authorities in dealing with the situation, saying, The unfortunate incidents are confined to a few

townships in Rakhine state as it constitutes an inter-communal violence relating only to the some

portion of the population in the state.

The situation of law and order in Rakhine state is improving, the authorities said people sheltered

in relief camps are gradually returning to the places, it said.

The deadly unrest and violence in Rakhine State started with the rape and murder of a Rakhine

ethnic woman by three men in Kyauknimaw village on May 28, setting off a series of deadlyreprisals and clashes between Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists.

According to the ministry statement, 77 people from both communities were killed with 109people injured. A total of 4,822 houses, 17 mosques, 15 monasteries and three schools were

burned down.

The declaration of a state of emergency in the state along with imposition of curfews in six

townships has been in force since June 10.