Dhaka: Bangladesh accused Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar on Monday of involvement in attacks on Buddhist temples and homes in the southeast and said the violence was triggered by a photo posted on Facebook that insulted Islam. Thousands of Muslims went on a rampage in Buddhist areas of Bangladesh near the border on Saturday, setting ablaze more than a dozen temples and monasteries and at least 50 homes. Property was looted, including statues of the Buddha.
"The attacks on temples and houses in Buddhist localities in Ramu and neighbouring areas in Cox's Bazar (district) were perpetrated by radical Islamists," Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters in Dhaka. "Rohingyas and political opponents of the government were also involved in the attacks." He described the attacks as a "premeditated and deliberate attempt" to disrupt communal harmony.
It was one of the worst sectarian attacks in Bangladesh, spreading fear throughout the Buddhist minority. Police said violence spread to the port of Chittagong, where at least two temples were vandalised. But police drove the attackers away and tightened security around Buddhist areas. Police said they arrested nearly 170 people on suspicion of vandalism and an investigation was ordered into the violence.
Rohingyas were involved in a week of rioting with Buddhist Rakhines across the border in Myanmar last June and aid agencies say they bore the brunt of a government crackdown to halt the violence. Rohingyas are not included in any census in multi-ethnic Myanmar and have no citizenship. Bangladesh
11:23 AM, Oct 02, 2012
Yangon: The Myanmar government declared a state of emergency in coastal Rakhine state on June 10 night following the unrest. The declaration, aired by the state radio and television, was signed by President U Thein Sein who also delivered an address to the nation in a live broadcast. The declaration was made as unrest and violence in the country's Rakhine state escalated despite imposition of curfew in six areas in...
12:15 PM, Jun 11, 2012
