Religions for Peace Multi-religious Delegation’s Visit to Rakhine State

Representatives of Religions for Peace visited Sittwe and Maungdaw in the north of Rakhine State, Myanmar, where militant attacks in August 2017 triggered massive operations by the security personnel on the area’s Muslim communities and some 700,000 Muslims and hundreds of Hindus fled for Bangladesh. This region has also seen terrorist attacks by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) accused of massacres of a 100 Hindus and attacks on other ethnic and religious minorities. While acknowledging the authorities’ duty to maintain law and order, the delegation expressed a concern that an excessive use of force could hamper the peace and reconciliation process.

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