Deadly Blaze kill 13 Children in Burmese Muslim school in Rangoon

The partly burnt school building

A fire at a Muslim school, part of mosque, in the Burmese city of Rangoon has killed 13 children, officials say.

The school sheltering some 75 orphans comes amid an upsurge in violence between Buddhists and Muslims.

Police officers said the fire was caused by an electrical fault and not due to any criminal activity. Most of the children escaped unharmed.

It may be added that at least 40 people have been killed since 20 March and curfews have been imposed in some areas.

The violence follows more widespread clashes last year in Rakhine state between the Buddhist community and Muslim Rohingyas - a stateless minority group not recognized by the Burmese government.

Read more about it at: BBC Asia
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Privaetely owned Newspapers allowed in Burma - after Five Decades

The censorship over news in Burma finally eases as private daily newspapers are fianlly allowed for the first time in almost 50 years.

Publisher U Win Htay looks at the front page of his new daily, Standard Time

Sixteen papers have so far been granted licences, although only four were ready to publish on Monday, as the state monopoly comes to an end.

Until recently, reporters in Burma faced some of the harshest restrictions in the world. and this move is being viewed by many as an important milestone on Burma's journey away from authoritarian rule.

It may be added that Private dailies in Burmese, English, Indian and Chinese, which had been commonplace in the former British colony, were forced to close under military rule in 1964.

Read more about it at: BBC News
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Muslims Worried About Fate of Burma's Rohingyas Muslims

M

uslim groups worldwide are increasing pressure on the Burmese government to stop human rights abuses committed against ethnic Rohingya Muslims. 

The plight of the technically stateless group in Burma's western Rakhine state has long been a concern of the global Muslim community. But attention has intensified in recent weeks after longstanding tensions erupted between the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, leaving dozens dead and tens of thousands displaced.

Rights groups such as Amnesty International say Rohingyas are the victims of state-sanctioned violence and discrimination in a country that has a long history of mistreating ethnic minorities.

 

Read more: VOA

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State of Emergency declared in Myanmar

Myanmar’s president has declared a state of emergency in a western state where sectarian tensions between Buddhists and Muslims have unleashed deadly violence. He warned that if the situation spun out of control, it could jeopardize the democratic reforms he has been instituting since taking office last year.

It is the first time Thein Sein has invoked the measure since becoming president. A state of emergency effectively allows the military to take over administrative functions for Rakhine State, a coastal region that borders Bangladesh.

The move follows rioting on Friday in two Rakhine areas that state media say left at least seven people dead and 17 wounded, and saw hundreds of houses burned down. The unrest spread on Saturday and Sunday, though order was said to have been restored in the areas shaken by Friday’s violence.

Read more: France24

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Suu Kyi calls for help for Burma

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has warned against ''reckless optimism'' over reforms in the country.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok, she said the process was not yet irreversible.

The parliament of which she recently became a member was still far from democratic, she added.

She also called on investors to meet the country's needs, saying that job creation and training was vital for Burma's young population.

Read more: BBC News

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