Buddhists raid Muslim village, destroy mosque in central Myanmar

A group of about 200 Buddhist extremists have raided a Muslim village in central Myanmar, destroying parts of a mosque and forcing residents to seek refuge overnight in a police station.

A group of about 200 Buddhist extremists have raided a Muslim village in central Myanmar, destroying parts of a mosque and forcing residents to seek refuge overnight in a police station.

The Buddhists rampaged through the area of ThuyeTha Mein village in Bago Province on Thursday, following an argument between the residents over the building of a Muslim school.

The violence erupted after “a Muslim man and a Buddhist women started to argue and then people came to fight,” said Hla Tint, the village administrator.

The assailants “also destroyed the fence of the Muslim cemetery,” he added.

They forced around 70 Muslims, including children, to seek shelter in a police station, said the administrator, adding that the violence caused no serious injuries, and that peace had been restored in the area.

However, one of the Muslim residents of the village said his community of around 150 people is now living in fear.