April 1, 2013
Bangkok – The Burmese government should thoroughly investigate and hold
accountable those who incited and committed deadly violence in Meiktila
in central Burma from March 20 to
22, 2013. Decisive government action to combat impunity, end
discrimination, and promote tolerance among religious groups is needed
to end the tide of attacks against Muslim communities.
An estimated 40 people were killed and 61 wounded in the clashes between
Muslims and majority Buddhists in Meiktila in the Mandalay Region.
Satellite images analysed by Human Rights Watch show the scale of the
destruction: an estimated 828 buildings, the vast majority residences,
were totally destroyed and at least 35 other buildings were partially
destroyed. Areas with near total destruction were concentrated within
three locations in Meiktila measuring more than 24 hectares in total
area west and northeast of the city’s main market. The destruction
appears similar to satellite imagery of towns affected by sectarian
violence in Arakan State in 2012, in which arson attacks left large,
clearly defined residential areas in ashes.
“The government should investigate responsibility for the violence in
Meiktila and the failure of the police to stop wanton killings and the
burning of entire neighborhoods,” said Brad Adams,
Asia director. “Burma’s government should have learned the lessons of
recent sectarian clashes in Arakan State and moved quickly to bolster
the capacity of the police to contain violence and protect lives and
property.”
442 likely residential buildings destroyed or severely damaged.
345 likely residential and commercial buildings destroyed and severely damaged
According to a needs assessment
released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
HumanitarianAffairs (OCHA), over 12,000 people were displaced by the
violence in Meiktila and are in shelters around the town.
Since the Meiktila violence, attacks against Muslims have occurred
elsewhere in central Burma, including Okpho, Gyobingauk, and Minhla
townships of Pegu region. Soldiers reportedly fired warning shots in the
air to disperse protesters in Pegu, and an estimated nine townships in
Burma are under emergency provisions or curfew, limiting public
assembly.
The spread of anti-Islamic sentiment and religious intolerance is a
serious challenge to the rights of Muslims in Burma. Some well-known
members of the Buddhist monkhood, or Sangha, have given sermons and
distributed anti-Muslim tracts and directives that call on Buddhist
residents to boycott Muslim businesses and shun contact with Muslim
communities.
Burma’s 2008 Constitution contains provisions that ensure religious
freedom and states that the government should “assist and protect the
religions it recognizes to its utmost.” President Thein Sein’s office on
March 28 called for “earnest effort[s] to control and address all forms
of violence including instigations that lead to racial and religious
tensions in the interest of the people in accord with the Constitution
and existing laws.”
Such efforts need to be accompanied by strong measures, including
holding those who planned, organized, and carried out the recent
violence accountable, irrespective of the person’s position or the
community from which they originate. The government should also make it
clear that it will not tolerate incitement to violence, especially by
clergy or others in positions of authority.
The government should also take urgent steps to ensure that the police
respond impartially to violence. During the violence in Arakan State in
June and October, police frequently sided with the majority Buddhist
community against the minority Rohingya Muslim population. Frequently
the police did nothing to stop the violence against Muslims and in many
cases joined with Buddhist mobs to attack predominantly Muslim
villages.
“Burma’s government and political, religious, and community leaders
should demand an end to the hate speech that has fuelled violence and
discrimination against communities in Burma’s fragile multicultural
society,” Adams said. “Decisive government action according to the rule
of law is critically important to deter extremists and anyone else using
violence to further economic, religious, and political agendas.”
No comments:
Post a Comment