2012 Rakhine State riots
[5][6][7] The riots started came after weeks of sectarian disputes including a gang rape and murder of a Rakhine woman which police allege was committed by three Rohingya Muslims.
[17] The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and several human rights groups rejected the President Thein Sein's proposal to resettle the Rohingya abroad.
Rohingyas are not allowed to leave their settlements, officially due to security concerns, and are the subject of a campaign of commercial boycott led by Buddhist monks.
[22] Before the riots, there were widespread and strongly held fears circulating among Buddhist Rakhines that they would soon become a minority in all of Arakan, and not just the northern part, which has long been a Muslim majority.
[31] The June 2012 riots saw various attacks by Buddhist Rakhines and Rohingya Muslims on each other's communities, including destruction of property.
[33] By the evening, Hmuu Zaw, a high-ranking officer, reported that the security forces were protecting 14 burnt villages in Maungdaw township.
[22] According to state TV, the order was given in response to "unrest and terrorist attacks" and "intended to restore security and stability to the people immediately.
[22] The move was criticised by Human Rights Watch, who accused the government of handing control over to a military which had historically brutalised people in the region.
"We're here to observe and assess how we can continue to provide support to Rakhine [State]," said Ashok Nigam, UN humanitarian coordinator.
[44] On 14 June, the situation appeared calm as casualty figures were updated to 29 deaths – 16 Muslim and 13 Buddhists according to Myanmar authorities.
[13] Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi warned that violence would continue unless "the rule of law" was restored.
[13] As of 28 June, casualty figures were updated to 80 deaths and estimated 90,000 people were displaced and taking refuge in temporary camps according to official reports.
Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh also claimed that the Burmese army and police shot groups of villagers after they started the riot.
[15] Despite the claims made by NGOs, an in-depth research by the International Crisis Group reported that members of both communities were grateful for protection provided by the military.
[48] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on 26 October that "the vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped.
"[47] US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on the Burmese government to halt the violence and allow aid groups unrestricted access.
[48] On 27 October, a spokesperson for Thein Sein acknowledged "incidents of whole villages and parts of the towns being burnt down in Rakhine state", after Human Rights Watch released a satellite image showing hundreds of Muslim buildings destroyed in Kyaukpyu on Ramree Island.
[5] The United Nations reported on 28 October that 3,200 more displaced people had fled to refugee camps, with an estimated additional 2,500 still in transit.
[49] In early November, Doctors Without Borders reported that pamphlets and posters were being distributed in Rakhine State threatening aid workers who treated Muslims, causing almost all of its local staff to quit.
[50] Alleged photographs of crimes against Muslims perpetrated by Buddhists in Rakhine State had been widely circulated during and after the riots.
[52] After the riots, most of the Muslims from Sittwe were removed by security forces into makeshift refugee camps well away from the city, towards Bangladesh.
Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since then on overcrowded boats to Malaysia or further south, despite the dangers posed by rough seas.
In November, another boat carrying 70 Rohingyas fleeing sectarian violence capsized off the western coast of Myanmar.
In August 2012, about 20,000 Indians, mostly Muslims gathered in Mumbai's Azad Maidan to protest the treatment of Rohingyas in Rakhine state.
