M-Media
April 11, 2013
The Voice Weekly journal reported, quoting Mandalay Division Attorney General Ye Aung Myint, that houses in Meiktila that were destroyed during the anti-Muslim violence between March 20-23 will be reconstructed. The report mentioned Ye Aung Myint saying that are is no plan for the reconstruction of mosques and religious buildings.
The report is unclear over the future of mosques and schools. It is not clear whether Ye Aung Myint meant that the government has no plan to ‘help’ reconstruct Islamic religious buildings, or that the government will not allow the reconstruction of mosques and schools.
Myanmar Muslims are suspicious of the government regarding this issue.
Last week, director of Yangon Division Ministry of Religion Aung Kyi told during a press conference that the Ministry has not allowed mosques officially. The Eleven Media quoted him as saying, “Mosques were constructed traditionally by Muslim communities unofficially, and the government did not ban them. There is no officially allowed mosque”.
Eleven Media published this news on its Facebook page and official website site. It also published a list of mosques across the country but removed 1,500 mosques from the government’s official list.
As U Aung Kyi’s comments became controversial, he corrected by saying that the media misinterpreted his comment. He explained that he meant, “the ministry has no legal authority over the construction of mosques.” Eleven Media did not publish U Aung Kyi’s comment on its Facebook and official web pages, but only printed on the journal four days after U Aung Kyi’s correction.
Eleven has not acknowledged the mistake over the list of the mosque.
