Desk Report
Myanmar’s outgoing President Thein Sein has lifted the emergency of state according to the state media, said reports from BBC. This comes as Thein Sein ends his 5 year term as president.
The emergency of state was issued back in June 2012 when violence erupted between Buddhist and Muslim communities.
There were many casualties and about 140,000 people, primarily of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, were forced to run away from their homes in the western state.
A statement was made announcing the order saying, “According to the Rakhine State government, there is currently no threat of danger to people’s lives.” With this order, the military step back from providing day-to-day security in the region further reports from AFP.Though Rakhine has not had serious eruptions of violence in more than two years, there still remain tensions relating to religion. Most Muslims are trapped either in camps or in heavily regulated areas near the border with Bangladesh. The increase in Buddhist patriotism in Myanmar has lead to discrimination against the Muslim minority increasing. Many see the minority as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangaldesh. Thousands of them have run away from the harassment and poverty they faced to neighboring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia according to further reports.
Aye Maung, chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), which represents ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, was reported saying, “We think the situation is good. But any politician can see that Rakhine State is very sensitive and it would be easy for it to explode at any time.”