Myanmar: Arrest warrants issued for Buddhist nationalists May 12 /update 1

Event

Police reportedly issued arrest warrants for seven Buddhist nationalists on Friday, May 12, for inciting violence, two days after breaking up fights between Buddhist nationalists and Muslims in Yangon. The clashes occurred in a Muslim neighborhood after a crowd of Buddhist nationalists went “hunting for ‘illegal’ Rohingya,” who they claimed were hiding in a house in the Mingalar Taung Nyunt township. At least one man was injured in the incident. Related protests and further violence are possible in the coming days and weeks.

Context

Nationalists within Myanmar’s Buddhist majority have become increasingly hostile toward the country’s Muslim minority communities in recent months, holding protests and preventing Islamic religious ceremonies from being held. Two schools were recently closed temporarily over accusations that they were serving as mosques.

The Rohingya people are a group of more than 1 million Muslims who primarily live in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Armed groups of Rohingyas raided several border checkpoints in Rakhine state along the Bangladeshi border on October 9, 2016, injuring a dozen soldiers. Retaliatory attacks took place in the following days after the military was deployed to the area and imposed a curfew. In a bid to demonstrate its ability to handle the situation, the military carried out counterinsurgency operations for four months until mid-February 2017.

Human rights groups accused the army of committing crimes against humanity during their crackdown, including rape, torture, burning down more than 1000 homes, and killing an unknown number of civilians, possibly more than 1000. The phrase “ethnic cleansing” has been used by some observers. This violent crackdown drove an estimated 70,000 Rohingyas to flee across the border to Bangladesh, while at least 20,000 were internally displaced.

Advice

Individuals present in the affected areas are advised to remain vigilant and to adhere to all instructions issued by authorities.

As a precautionary measure, many Western governments and Myanmar authorities advise travelers against all but essential travel to Rakhine state except the southern townships of Kyaukpyu, Ramree, Munaung, Toungup, Thandwe (including the tourist resort of Ngapali), and Gwa. Individuals present in western Myanmar should avoid nonessential travel to the region bordering Bangladesh.