One dead, four hurt in Myanmar religious unrest: govt
A Muslim orphanage, a mosque and several shops were also destroyed by rioters.
Firemen battle a fire in Lashio, Northern Shan state of Myanmar on May 29, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
MYANMAR:
One person was killed and four wounded on Wednesday in a fresh outbreak of religious violence in eastern Myanmar, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Police fired warning shots to disperse rioters after the Buddhist-Muslim clashes in the town of Lashio in Shan state, according to presidential spokesperson Ye Htut, who said one man was "hacked to death".
He said the security forces were taking action to halt the unrest.
Several episodes of religious violence have exposed deep rifts in the Buddhist-majority country and cast a shadow over widely praised political reforms since military rule ended two years ago.
In March at least 44 people were killed in religious unrest in central Myanmar with thousands of homes set ablaze.
Communal violence last year, mainly targeted at Rohingya Muslims, left about 200 people dead and displaced up to 140,000 people in the western state of Rakhine.
Residents said mobs armed with sticks were roaming the streets of Lashio on Wednesday while an AFP reporter saw two houses ablaze.
The authorities on Tuesday imposed an overnight curfew after the unrest erupted following an alleged attack on a local Buddhist woman who suffered burns.
A 48-year-old Muslim man was arrested over that incident, according to state-run broadcaster MRTV.
A Muslim orphanage, a mosque and several shops were destroyed by rioters, another government official said, requesting anonymity.
One person was killed and four wounded on Wednesday in a fresh outbreak of religious violence in eastern Myanmar, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Police fired warning shots to disperse rioters after the Buddhist-Muslim clashes in the town of Lashio in Shan state, according to presidential spokesperson Ye Htut, who said one man was "hacked to death".
He said the security forces were taking action to halt the unrest.
Several episodes of religious violence have exposed deep rifts in the Buddhist-majority country and cast a shadow over widely praised political reforms since military rule ended two years ago.
In March at least 44 people were killed in religious unrest in central Myanmar with thousands of homes set ablaze.
Communal violence last year, mainly targeted at Rohingya Muslims, left about 200 people dead and displaced up to 140,000 people in the western state of Rakhine.
Residents said mobs armed with sticks were roaming the streets of Lashio on Wednesday while an AFP reporter saw two houses ablaze.
The authorities on Tuesday imposed an overnight curfew after the unrest erupted following an alleged attack on a local Buddhist woman who suffered burns.
A 48-year-old Muslim man was arrested over that incident, according to state-run broadcaster MRTV.
A Muslim orphanage, a mosque and several shops were destroyed by rioters, another government official said, requesting anonymity.