By TCN News,
Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has expressed deep anguish and concern at the ongoing violence in Myanmar for the last one week wherein more than three dozen Muslims have been killed. As such it has decided to stage "dharna" in front of Myanmar Embassy in New Delhi on April 5 under the leadership of Hafiz Manzoor Ali Khan, general secretary of SDPI.
SDPI national president E. Abubacker in a statement said it is pity that the groups of Muslims who call themselves Rohingya have been living in Myanmar for centuries are not yet recognized as citizens of the country and are being subjected to such blood-curdling treatment by the Buddhists dominated country. Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.
Abubacker called upon world community of nations in general and Indian Government in particular to weigh upon the Myanmar Government to control the sectarian riots with an iron hand at the earliest before the situation goes out of control.
The statement said that the clashes are a stark reminder of the challenge, which Muslim-Buddhist tensions pose to Myanmar’s quasi-civilian regime as it tries to reform the country after decades of iron-fisted military rule. It was the most serious religious conflict since violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine last year left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced. Myanmar’s Muslims — largely of Indian, Chinese and Bangladeshi descent — account for an estimated four per cent of the population of roughly 60 million, although the country has not conducted a census in three decades.
It may be mentioned here that at least 40 people were killed and about 9,000 people, mostly Muslims, were made homeless in Meikhtila after attacks began there on Wednesday last. The violence flared after a dispute between a Muslim shopkeeper and a Buddhist customer. A state of emergency was declared and order has since been restored. The government announced an army-enforced state of emergency.
