20th Feb 2013
M-Media
Zar Zar Hlaing
According to the reports of shopkeepers at 11.30 pm on 20th Feb, it is learned that in the previous night, Muslims’ shops located at the top of Yan Pyae 4th, 5th and 7th Streets and Yan Aung Street were destroyed and robbed by a mob.
It is reported that only Muslims’ properties such as tea shops, betel shops, snack stores and mobile stores were selectively invaded and destroyed. It is known that security forces had been deployed now.
A Yan Pyae resident said, “They’ve never been seen in this ward. A Ward leader was calling to all not to go out. When I called him, he replied quietly to phone him later, and told me to switch off all lights.”
Because of this turmoil, all Thaketa township dwellers were worried, did not dare to sleep at night, and were on the alert. All residents tried to hide from that mob, locking the doors and turning off lights as instability was being created in the township by jeopardizing several possible ways.
From that mob involved in the catalogue of riots, eleven young people including U Kyaw Soe’s son who lives in Yan Pyae 16th Street were detained by authorities and it is learned that leaflets, signed by the township administrator with the notice that one being involved in violence would be arrested, had been distributed in Yan Pyae and Man Pyae Wards through No.3 Man Pyae Ward Administrator U Kan Htun according to Myanmar Age Media’s Facebook Page.
After knocking down the Islamic school for children in No. 3 Man Pyae Ward on 17th Feb with the complaint of being unsatisfied with repairing the building, series of violent attacks to Muslims’ properties have been occuring in some wards of Thaketa.
