KUALA LUMPUR: Myanmar's government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Kyauktaw in western Rakhine state following days of renewed sectarian violence in the area, government officials told Bikyamasr.com, adding that the curfew would be “extended indefinitely.” The curfew, effective from 7 PM to 5 AM, was established by Kyauktaw township administration, bringing the total number of areas placed under curfew in Rakhine state now to 7. Local sources said the violence consisted of arson attacks erupted on Sunday in Kyauktaw, 128 kilometers from Rakhine's capital Sittway following clashes between local ethnic Rakhinese and Bengali-Muslims, native to the area. A United Nations senior official earlier this month expressed serious concern about reports of human rights violations committed by security forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state, after clashes between its Buddhist and Muslim communities reportedly killed at least 78 people and displaced thousands last month. “We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said in a news release. “Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya [Muslim] community," she added. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in the state, located in the country's west, was triggered when an ethnic Rakhine woman was raped and murdered on May 28. This was followed by the killing of 10 Muslims by an unidentified mob on June 3. Pillay called for a prompt, independent investigation, noting that the crisis reflects the long-standing and systemic discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim community, who are not recognized by the Government and remain stateless. “The government has a responsibility to prevent and punish violent acts, irrespective of which ethnic or religious group is responsible, without discrimination and in accordance with the rule of law," Pillay said. She also called on national leaders to speak out against discrimination, the exclusion of minorities and racist attitudes, and in support of equal rights for all in Myanmar. She also stressed that the UN was making an effort to assist and protect all communities in Rakhine state. “Prejudice and violence against members of ethnic and religious minorities run the risk of dividing the country in its commendable national reconciliation efforts, undermine national solidarity, and upset prospects of peace-building," Pillay said. Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said it is delivering aid to the more than 30,000 people that were affected by the violence. “As we speak, additional tents are being airlifted from the Republic of Korea to meet urgent shelter needs on the ground," a UNHCR spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, told reporters in Geneva.
