A state of emergency was declared in Burma’s Rakhine State (also spelled Arakan State) amid escalating sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims.
There were riots on Friday in two areas in the state, which borders Bangladesh, causing the deaths of at least seven and injuring more, The Associated Press reported.
“I would like to call upon the people, political parties, religious leaders and the media to join hands with the government with a sense of duty, to help restore peace and stability and to prevent further escalation of violence,” President Thein Sein said as he invoked the state of emergency in the area.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday expressed concern over the attacks. “We … encourage the government to pursue an investigation in an expeditious and transparent manner that respects due process and the rule of law,” a statement from the DOS reads.
In one incident on Friday, around 1,000 Muslim Bengalis attacked residents and burned houses and other buildings in Buddhist villages, Irrawaddy magazine reported.
A week ago, 10 Muslims were dragged behind a bus and were beaten to death, allegedly after the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman. The rape was pinned on Muslim men late last month, according to the publication.
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