Buddhist-Muslim Violence Rages In Myanmar

Reuters reports today on Buddhist-Muslim violence that broke out over the weekend in the state of Rakhine in Myanmar (Burma). At least 8 people have been killed as rival Buddhist and Muslim mobs torch large numbers of houses.  The fighting, which has spread to Sittwe (the capital of the state), reflects decades-long tensions between the majority Buddhist population and the long persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.  The government regards the 800,000 Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and refuses to grant them citizenship, while the Rohingya claim they have been in Rakhine for centuries and want full citizenship. As democratic reforms have moved ahead under President Thein Sein, some Burmese in recent days have used their liberalized access to the Internet to express their anti-Rohingya feelings on social media sites (particularly on Twitter). The current violence was apparently triggered by the gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman a week ago which was blamed on Muslims and killing by a Buddhist mob of 10 Muslims in return. Troops have been sent to the region and curfews are being imposed.