Justice Must Be Rendered in Ethnic Clashes That Have Left 112 Dead
Contact: Sharon Singh, [email protected], 202-675-8579, @spksingh
The deaths of tens of people in ethnic clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State represent a tragic loss of life which must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice, Amnesty International said.
"These latest incidents between Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhists demonstrate how urgent it is that the authorities intervene to protect everyone, and break the cycle of discrimination and violence," said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific deputy director.
In June 2012, a state of emergency was declared in Rakhine after 90 people were killed. But if reports are accurate, the current death toll has far surpassed that total.
Amnesty International is also calling on Myanmar’s authorities to review the 1982 Citizenship Law to ensure that Rohingyas are no longer stateless and to tackle the roots of longstanding discrimination against the Rohingya population.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.