President of Burma Thein Sein
has begun his first visit to Rakhine state since sectarian violence broke out
there
October 1, 2013
Burma's president has begun his first visit to
western Rakhine state since sectarian violence broke out there more than a year
ago.
President Thein Sein's three-day trip comes amid reports
today of a new spate of arson attacks around the city of Thandwe, where dozens
of homes have been torched or damaged since the weekend.
Burma, a predominantly Buddhist nation, has
been grappling with Buddhist-Muslim violence that has killed hundreds of people
and sent 140,000 more fleeing since June 2012, the majority of them Muslims.
A senior official in the president's office said Thein Sein arrived
today in the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe and would also travel to the
inland town of Mrauk-U.
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