Communal tensions bristle in Myanmar after Buddhist militants destroy mosque

June 25, 2016

Yangon, Jun 25: Scores of police have been deployed to guard a village in central Myanmar where religious tensions are running high after a Buddhist mob destroyed a mosque, authorities said Saturday.

myanmarIt is the latest flare-up of anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar, which has seen sporadic bouts of religious bloodshed since 2012, with a surge of Buddhist nationalism presenting a key challenge for Aung San Suu Kyi's new government.

The most recent violence erupted this week when an angry mob of around 200 Buddhists rampaged through a Muslim area of a village in Bago province following an argument between neighbours over the building of a Muslim school.

Own Lwin, the local police chief, said the atmosphere remained tense Saturday with around 100 police officers deployed to keep the peace.

"Last night, 50 police guarded the village to prepare for rumours that there might be more unrest. Now we have arranged a police force of up to 100 officers," he told AFP, adding that no arrests have been made over the destruction of the mosque.

Win Shwe, the mosque's secretary, told AFP that Muslim residents fear for their safety and are planning to move to a nearby town until the tension cools.

"Our situation is not safe and now we are planning to leave the village...We still feel afraid," he told AFP.

Strident anti-Muslim sentiment has fomented across Myanmar in recent years, with outbreaks of violence threatening to unravel democratic gains since the former junta stepped down in 2011.

The worst religious violence struck central Myanmar and western Rakhine State, which is home to the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, tens of thousands of whom still languish in displacement camps after rioting.

Hardline monks and Buddhist nationalists fiercely oppose moves to recognise the Rohingya as an official minority and insist on calling them "Bengalis" - shorthand for illegal migrants from the border with Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi, a vocal champion for human rights, has been criticised for not taking a stronger stance on the Rohingya or the abuse they face.

This month the UN warned that violations against the group could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, now leading Myanmar's first civilian government in decades, has asked for "space" while her administration seeks to build trust between religious communities.

Comments

Bopanna
 - 
Monday, 27 Jun 2016

How I wish this happens in India too. No one wants unclean Muslims and their terror teaching mosques in their country. Why would a peaceful community like Buddhists start violence ,? The Muslims must have instigated them....

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Sunday, 26 Jun 2016

Ha ha......and these Buddhist call themselves non violent and peace loving....bloody ...criminals .... terrorists ....
What would happen if it was a temple.......

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News Network
May 8,2020

Bhatkal, May 8: In a shocking development 12 new coronavius positive cases were detected in Bhatkal town of Uttara Kannada district in a single day. 

Around 20 days ago an 18-year-old girl in Bhatkal was tested positive for the covid-19. The source of this infection was the First Neuro hospital located at Padil in Mangaluru where a covid-19 patient from Bantwal had undergone treatment. 

Now, the Bhatkal girl’s family members and neighbours also have tested positive for the deadly virus. Madeena Colony, Usmainya Colony, Nawayath Colony, Tengungundi Cross, Hindu Colony, Kukti Nagar, Jali Cross and Azad Nagar are sealed down by officials after the confirmation of new cases. 

Those infected include a 5-month-old baby, elderly people aged 60, 75, 83 and children aged 3, 11 and 12 years. 

Meanwhile, Kumata-Honnavar MLA Dinakar K Shetty has written to Uttara Kannada DC urging the complete seal down of Bhatkal taluk.

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News Network
March 26,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 26: The number of COVI D-19 cases in Karnataka spiked to 55 on Thursday after four new cases were reported. 

According to official sources, a 35-year-old man, who was a resident of Nanjanagud town in Mysuru taluk and worked in a pharma unit, tested positive for coronavirus. 

He had been quarantined in his home and efforts are being made to track down as many as seven persons, who had primary contact with 
him.

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Agencies
January 24,2020

Indore, Jan 24: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday said that he suspected that there were some Bangladeshis among construction labourers who worked at his house recently.

Their “strange” eating habits aroused suspicion about their nationality, the BJP general secretary said at a seminar in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here.

When a new room was being added at his house recently, he found “eating habits” of some of the workers “strange” as “they were eating only `poha’ (flattened rice)”, he said.

After talking to their supervisor and the building contractor, he suspected that these workers were from Bangladesh, the BJP leader said.

When reporters questioned him later, Vijayvargiya said, “I suspected these workers were residents of Bangladesh. Two days after I became suspicious, they stopped working at my house. I have not filed any police complaint yet. I only mentioned this incident to warn people,” he said.

Speaking at the seminar, Vijayvargiya also claimed that a Bangladeshi terrorist was keeping a watch on him for the last one and a half years.

“Whenever I go out, six armed security personnel follow me. What is happening in this country? Will outside people enter and spread so much terror?” he asked.

“Don’t get confused by rumours. The CAA is in the interest of the country. This law will provide asylum to genuine refugees and identify intruders who are a threat to the country’s internal security,” he added.

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Well Wisher
 - 
Sunday, 26 Jan 2020

Koopa Mandooka. illeterates. Do not bother about them.

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