Massacre in Central Burma: Muslim Students Terrorized and Killed in Meiktila

by Holly G. Atkinson, MD, FACP and Richard Sollom, MA, MPH

This report details the results of a PHR investigation into the March 20 and 21, 2013, attacks on Muslim students, teachers, and residents in the Mingalar Zayyone quarter of Meiktila, a small town in central Burma.

A two-person team from PHR conducted 33 interviews about the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 children and four teachers. The report details the attacks by the Buddhist mobs, provides evidence that local police officers were complicit in the crimes, and lists policy recommendations for the Burmese government and the international community.

Read the Executive Summary (pdf)

Anti-Muslim violence swept through central Burma (officially theUnion of Myanmar) in spring 2013, reportedly sparked byan argument at a gold shop and the killing of a Buddhist monk in the town of Meiktila on March 20, 2013.

During the next three days, armed groups of men from the majority Buddhist population reportedly set fire to more than 1,500homes, destroyed more than a dozen mosques and three madrassas, and killed more than 100 people among the minority Muslim population in Meiktila and surrounding townships.

Read the report (pdf)

The below map, which includes photographs of the destroyed mosques and Islamic schools in Meiktila, is also in the report. A second map, showing locations of the anti-Muslim violence, also follows.

 

Map 1: PHR-Verified Destruction of Mosques and Islamic Schools in the City of Meiktila, Burma, 20-23 March, 2013. This map contains original PHR photos; clicking on each point will reveal a photo of the damaged structure.

 

Meiktila Destruction HRW Data

 

 

Map 2: Anti-Muslim Violence in Burma, March–April 2013. This map was produced using information from publicly available media sources.

Conflict in Myanmar March-April Topo
Map developed at StepMap

 


Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. The Centre of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post Global Research articles on community internet sites as long the source and copyright are acknowledged together with a hyperlink to the original Global Research article. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected]

www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner.

For media inquiries: [email protected]