M-Media
March 24, 2013
War Pin Lay
According to a resident from Yamethin, a Muslim-owned beef can factory in Shwe Dar village in Yamethin township was destroyed on March 23 at 7PM.
Buddhists extremists destroyed the factory and stole properties from the factory. The factory was then set on fire.
A resident from Yamethin told M-Media, “In this village, there is one factory owned by Muslim. Fire started since 7 pm yesterday and it didn’t end until this morning. Nobody got hurt because they already left for other places since they heard of violence”.
The resident told that the chairman of National Assembly Khin Aung Myint, who is from Yamethin constituency, arrived at the scene at 8 in the morning. At noon, he met inter-faith organizations and members of Union Solidarity and Development Party and said, “our religion is not the one that spreads religion by setting things on fire”.
He urged that people not write and distribute anything that destroy peaceful relations between different religious groups. He also suggested that Buddhist trouble-makers be investigated, and that everyone should work together not to let violence happen in their constituency.
Khin Aung Myint also visited Ywar Tan village where all Muslim houses were burnt to ground last night.
M-Media talked to beef factory owner Lay Hein Tun. He said, “The factory had been closed down by the authority since much earlier, but the rioters came in to destroy it. The building itself is expensive. I lost about 300 to 400 million kyat. The factory’s security guard, who is a Buddhist, had to run away as he was also attacked. There are two huts and betel farm in the area, which were all destroyed”.
Lay Hein Tun called Yamethin district chairman and district officer for help when his factory was under fire. The authorities replied that they could not help because Ywar Tan was also on fire. They suggested that Lay Hein Tun not go to the factory.
More photos at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.517603388282136.1073741841.468226919886450&type=1&l=235ce5ef7e
