15 held for role in communal violence
Play
Fifteen people suspected to have been involved in sectarian violence that occurred after a Muslim woman bumped into a Buddhist novice monk in the town of Oakkan in Yangon region on Monday have been arrested, police said yesterday.
The situation there was calm yesterday, said chief of Oakkan township police force Pol Major Myint Maung.
A 100-strong police force reportedly combed Panibin village of Oakkan at 1.30pm yesterday to capture the 15 suspects. The police also confiscated 13 gyingalis (pointed iron sticks used with catapults), one sword and two catapults during the arrests.
The vice-chief of Yangon Region Police Force said severe action would be taken against them and more arrests would be made.
“This incident should not have become so serious. Some public members lack wisdom and education. If such incidents continue to happen, we will face more blame and criticism from the international community. We will take punitive action against all those involved. The 15 suspects being detained are all Buddhists. We have to make more arrests,” Pol Lt-Colonel Thet Lwin said.
According to the Oakkan police force, there have been no further incidents of violence in both the urban and rural areas of Oakkan township, but strict security measures would be maintained. Nine people were injured in the riots, three with serious injuries were admitted to Yangon General Hospital. One of the victims, Zaw Zaw Naing, died in hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
The violence destroyed 81 homes, one mosque, one school and about 50 shops, Yangon Region Police Force reported.
The police said more security forces and military troops have been deployed in Oakkan to contain further violence.
Seven Rohingya arrested
Myanmar authorities have arrested seven key suspects behind the violent protests against the official population census of Rohingya immigrants in the last week of April in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, according to officials. They have been charged with assaulting officials during the hostilities that occurred in the city during the process, the officials say.
The official process of assessing Bengali migrants in the state was suspended on April 26 due to violent disagreement with the process, which injured even some of the officials who were in charge of the process, they said.
Currently, the authorities have suspended the official population census of Bengali migrants to the state due to the disagreement among the Bengalis who have demanded they be recognised as “Rohingya” not “Bengalis”.
