Emergency in Myanmar state after sectarian violence

The move follows rioting on Friday in two Rakhine areas that state media say left at least seven people dead and 17 wounded,and saw hundreds of houses burned down. The unrest spread on Saturday and Sunday,though order was said to have been restored in the areas shaken by Friday’s violence.

In a nine-minute speech televised nationally,Thein Sein said that the violence in Rakhine State was fanned by dissatisfaction harboured by different religious and ethnic groups,hatred and the desire for vengeance.

“If this endless anarchic vengeance and deadly acts continue,there is the danger of them spreading to other parts and being overwhelmed by subversive influences,” he said. “If that happens,it can severely affect peace and tranquility and our nascent democratic reforms and the development of the country.”

The accounts in state media blamed Friday’s rioting in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships on 1,000 “terrorists,” but residents’ said they were Muslims. The unrest seemed to be a reaction to the June 3 lynching of 10 Muslims by a crowd of 300 Buddhists. The mob was apparently provoked by leaflets discussing the rape and murder last month of a Buddhist girl,allegedly by three Muslim men.

The violence reflects tensions in Rakhine state between Buddhists and Muslims,many of whom are considered to be illegal settlers from Bangladesh.