Army Taking Over Middle-Burma As Race-Riots Spread!

(Direct translation of blog posts from the MEG and other Burmese blogs.)

Burmese soldiers entering Meik-hti-lar??

Burma president Thein Sein has ordered the army to take over Middle Burma and calm the boiling racio-religious tensions there as the Buddhist-Muslim clashes spread from Meik-hti-lar to the surrounding townships.

The deadly clashes between the Burmese-Buddhists (bamars) and Bengali-Muslims (kalars) are spreading like wildfire all over the town and even spilling over to the nearby townships of the riots-torn district of Meik-hti-lar.

As per the president’s order three light infantry battalions from the 77^th Light Infantry Division based at Indagaw have entered the district of Meik-hti-lar today. The three riot-police battalions already in Meik-hti-lar have been seriously overwhelmed and unable to bring the situations under control during three long days of rioting in Meik-hti-lar town alone.

The deadly race riots started on March 20 and are now already three days old and do not appear to be abating and ending soon as the restless native Buddhists have taken their anguish and desperation out on the Bengali-Muslims prospering and rapidly growing as a minority group among them.

Following is president Thein Sein’s “Declaration of Emergency” in the race-riots-torn district of Meik-hti-lar consisting the townships of Meik-hti-lar, One-dwin, Ma-hlaing, and Thar-zee.

Declaration of Emergency

1. Because of the dire situations preventing the restoration of law and order in the Meik-hti-lar Township of Meik-hti-lar District in Mandalay Division the Act-144 has been declared since 20 March 2013 so that the peaceful existence and the security of the people can be restored.

2. But the violent unrests have been spreading widely and imposing of the Act-144 alone is not sufficient enough to restore the civil administration in the townships of Meik-hti-lar, One-dwin, Ma-hlaing, and Thar-zee of the District of Meik-hti-lar. To restore law and order in said townships as quickly as possible I declare Emergency in the district of Meik-hti-lar from today in accordance with the Sub-Act (A) of the Act-412 of the Constitution of Union of Myanmar.

3. Tatmadaw (Burma Army) will be brought in to help restore law and order in the Meik-hti-lar District in accordance with the Sub-Act (A) of the Act-413 of the Constitution of Union of Myanmar.

4.  This Declaration of Emergency will be in effect from today till another related order is issued.

5. This order has same authority like a law.

Thein Sein

President

Republic of the Union of Myanmar

A huge mosque burning in Meik-hti-lar on March 21.

Formation of Official Investigation Commission
on the Meik-hti-lar race riots.

Deadly race riots are spreading like wildfire in the district

To be continued ……