Mosque burned down in Myanmar

A pedestrian passes a partially-destroyed mosque after sectarian violence in the Gyobingauk region of Myanmar.

A pedestrian passes a partially-destroyed mosque after sectarian violence in the Gyobingauk region of Myanmar.

Published May 29, 2013

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Yangon, Myanmar -

A police officer and a monk in the remote Myanmar city of Lashio have confirmed that a mob burned down a mosque, a Muslim orphanage and shops in the north-eastern town after rumours spread that a Muslim man had set fire to a Buddhist woman.

According to the policeman and the Buddhist monk contacted by telephone on Wednesday morning, there were no fatalities after violence erupted the night before in the north-eastern city.

Deadly sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims has broken out since last year in other parts of the country, first in a western region then in central towns.

The new flare-up will reinforce doubts that President Thein Sein's government can or will act to contain the violence. - Sapa-AP

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