Buddhist mob destroys 5 Muslim-owned houses in Myanmar
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Yangon (dpa) - A mob of angry Buddhists destroyed five Muslim-owned houses in Myanmar early Sunday following reports that a 14-year-old Buddhist girl was raped, officials said.
The latest round of communal violence erupted shortly aftermidnight when about 100 people surrounded a police station in the town of Kyaung Gone, 50 kilometres north-west of Yangon, demanding that police hand over a Muslim rape suspect.
"When we refused their demand, they became angry and started destroying Muslim houses," an official from the town's administrative office said.
Another Muslim-owned house was partially destroyed by fire, according to witnesses.
No injuries were reported in the rampage.
Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have spread since last year, then sectarian fighting claimed at least 167 lives and left 140,000 people homeless, mostly Rohingya Muslims, in the western state of Rakhine.
