By Wa Lone, Reuters
August 13, 2017
YANGON — Hundreds of
Buddhists took to the streets in western Myanmar on Sunday to protest against
aid organizations they accuse of giving support to Muslim Rohingya militants,
police and a protest leader said.
Buddhist monks and
members of the Rakhine ethnic group held demonstrations in 15 towns, including
the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe, demanding that aid agencies leave the
western state immediately, Htay Aung, a self-described leader of the protests,
told Reuters by phone.
“We will protest
again and again until we get our demands. If the government fails to act, that
is their responsibility,” he said.
Tensions have risen
once again in Rakhine since seven Buddhists were found hacked to death in the
mountains in the north of the state in July.
The government said
it had discovered forest encampments that proved Muslim “extremists” were
responsible for the killings, and the military sent additional forces to the
area this week.
At one suspected militant
camp last month, biscuits originating from the United Nations’ World Food
Programme were discovered. Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have long accused U.N. and
other aid organizations of favoring the Rohingya with aid.
CRACKDOWN
The state was
plunged into violence in October, when Rohingya insurgents killed nine border
police, sparking a crackdown in which government security forces were accused
of raping, killing and torturing Rohingya civilians.
About 1.1 million
Rohingya Muslims live in Rakhine, but are denied citizenship and face
restrictions on their movements and access to basic services. About 120,000
remain in camps set up after deadly violence swept the state in 2012, where
they rely on aid agencies for basic provisions.
Pictures shared
online of Sunday’s protests showed saffron-robed monks holdings signs reading,
“We don’t need terrorist supporter group,” and calling for the U.N. and
international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to “get out”.
Htay Aung said the
protesters demanded that the government rid the state of Muslim militants,
quickly verify the citizenship credentials of Muslims and allow Rakhine
Buddhists to form armed militias.
Police Major Cho
Lwin estimated that about 600 people protested in Sittwe.
“The protest went
ahead today peacefully,” he said, adding that police had stepped up security
and blocked roads leading to aid offices.
Reuters obtained the
text of note sent by the U.N. on Wednesday to the 300 or so U.N. staff in
Rakhine, as well as INGOs, warning of rising hostility to international
agencies in the state.
Editing
by Simon Lewis and Andrew Roche