YANGON: At least ten people including a Buddhist monk were killed and at least three mosques were destroyed after riots broke out in a town in central part of the Myanmar, police said on Thursday.
The unrest comes amid heightened tensions between Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar, where communal conflict in Rakhine has left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced since June last year.
A report posted on Myanmar Police Force’s Facebook page late on Wednesday stated that the situation deteriorated when around 200 people fought in the streets after an argument in a Muslim-owned gold shop turned violent in the town of Meiktila on Wednesday.
It said that the two victims including a Buddhist monk lost their lives after suffering severe burns.
Police imposed a curfew overnight to control the situation after mobs set several mosques on fire.
“About three mosques were destroyed,” a local police officer said by telephone, but added that calm had since been restored.
However, a 29-year-old local man, Hein Thu Aung, said that “The situation is unpredictable.”
“I can’t guess what will happen next. The violence could get worse – everyone here is aggressive,” he added.
DND
