Rakhine, UN: At least 28 thousand displaced in violence between Burmese and Rohingya
Yangon (AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - The number of people displaced by the recent violence between
Buddhists and Muslims Burmese Rohingya in Rakhine State, western Myanmar, near
the border with Bangladesh, at least 28 thousand people. United
Nations sources in the area report that the figure is "very likely"
to rise because many who have left the coast on board vessels are not included
in the list. Sectarian
and ethnic clashes, which broke out in June, seem likely to continue, without
the reformist government of President Thein Sein - despite superficially
discussing a return to calm - being able to alleviate the growing tension.
Ashok
Nigam, UN observer for Myanmar and coordinator of humanitarian operations,
reports that today that of about 28 thousand displaced the vast majority
(almost 27,300) are Muslims. The
new wave of violence broke out on October 14 last and in two weeks has caused
84 deaths and 129 injured according to official data provided by the
authorities. However,
the toll could be much higher and puts in serious danger - as a warning to the
United Nations - the path of democratization initiated by the former Burma.
The
displaced are added to other 75 thousand refugees crammed for months in
overcrowded shelters, having fled their homes in the violence at the beginning
of June. In
recent days, thousands of homes were torched. Human
Rights Watch (HRW) released satellite images, from which emerge "massive
destruction of homes and property" in the Muslim majority areas of the
State of Rakhine. The
refugees belonging to the Rohingya minority tell tales of terror and despair,
while the UN official admits the difficulties in reaching the most remote areas
and does not rule out a further escalation of violence.
In
June, the District Court Kyaukphyu in the State of Rakhine sentenced three
Muslims, deemed responsible for the rape and killing in late May of Thida Htwe,
a young Arakanese Buddhist (Rakhine). This
is the origin of the violent sectarian clashes between Muslims and Buddhists
(see AsiaNews 19/06/2012 Rakhine,
ethnic violence: three death sentences for the rape-murder of a woman). In
the following days, an angry crowd, killed 10 Muslims some of entirely
unconnected with the incident. The
spiral of hatred has caused the death of 29 others, including 16 Muslims and 13
Buddhists. According
to official sources at least 2,600 homes were set alight, while hundreds of
Rohingya refugees have sought refuge abroad.
According
to United Nations estimates there are at least 800 thousand Rohingya Muslims in
Myanmar. However,
Naypyidaw does not consider them part of the 135 ethnic groups that make up the
country and - as well as neighboring Bangladesh, where the Dhaka government has
warned border guards against new
landings of refugees on the coast - treat them like illegal
immigrants by denying them the right of citizenship. Activists
and human rights organizations speak of open racism, many Rohingya, in fact,
speak a dialect of Bengali and are similar to Bangladeshi Muslims, with dark
skin and suffer political marginalization.
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02/12/2019 16:05
