http://www.smh.com.au/world/religious-violence-a-bump-on-burmas-road-to-reform-20120610-204dq.html
Religious violence a bump on Burma's road to reform June 11, 2012 a.. THE United States has expressed ''deep concerns'' over violence in a disputed Burmese province that has flared just days after Australia moved to lift financial sanctions on the country. Clashes in the western state of Rakhine reportedly left seven dead, with security forces firing on rioters who burnt hundreds of homes after tensions erupted between Buddhist and Muslim residents. State-controlled media yesterday said the region was calm after the army deployed troops to help police in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships stop the rampaging mobs. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was put in place and public gatherings of more than five people banned. The rioting reflected long-standing tensions over Rohingya Muslims, denied citizenship in Burma despite making up about a quarter of the province's population. Many are accused of having been illegal settlers from neighbouring Bangladesh despite having longstanding ties to the region. Although the root of the problem is localised, there are fears the trouble could spread because the split runs along religious lines. The US State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, issued a statement calling for the Burmese government to be ''expeditious and transparent'' in investigating the attacks. ''We are deeply concerned by reports of ongoing violence in Burma's Rakhine state. We are monitoring the situation and urge an immediate halt to violent attacks,'' she said. The trigger for the outbreak reportedly came with the rape and murder of a Buddhist girl last month, allegedly by three Muslim youths. State media said 494 houses, 19 shops and a guest house were burnt down. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr, visited Burma last week for talks with government figures and the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Burma's gradual political reforms after decades of hardline military rule has drawn widespread praise, and Senator Carr announced Australia's sanctions would be lifted to mark progress in the country. Human rights activists have criticised Australia for moving too quickly. They say hundreds of political prisoners remain incarcerated in Burma and serious rights abuses continue. Ms Suu Kyi expressed support for Australia lifting the sanctions, but warned a business summit in Thailand a fortnight ago there was a lot of ''reckless optimism'' about Burma's progress. The amount of information about the fighting in Rakhine state released by state media in a timely fashion is nearly unprecedented. Under the previous military regime, such incidents usually went unreported. The government of President Thein Sein has instituted reforms to allow a freer flow of information. with Agence France-Presse Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/religious-violence-a-bump-on-burmas-road-to-reform-20120610-204dq.html#ixzz1xV6geMHl [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
