YANGON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar government has formed a five-member investigation commission aimed at exposing those who led and were involved in the riots that broke out recently in western Rakhine state, official daily New Light of Myanmar reported Saturday.
The commission, which comprises a broad circle of persons, is headed by Minister of Border Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Maung Ohn.
The commission is tasked to investigate and take action against those who destroyed the residences and garages hired by the Malteser International aid Organization and the United Nations during riots on March 26-27 in Sittway of Rakhine State.
The commission is set to present its report on April 7, said the order signed by President U Thein Sein.
The riot, which targeted offices and residences of international aid groups, broke out on Wednesday and continued into Thursday, in which a number of Sittway-based offices of international aid groups, including UN agencies of ICRC, UNHCR, WFP, were stoned and attacked by hundreds of unidentified local ethnic Rakhine demonstrators.
A total of 71 aid workers, including 32 foreigners, have been evacuated to safer places under escort of local police force.
The unrest was triggered on Wednesday night by the taking down of a Buddhist flag by a female project coordinator of a humanitarian organization. The flag was hoisted at the office of the organization which was said to stand as a symbol of boycotting the government's upcoming nationwide census slated for the end of this month.
Following the incident, Myanmar's Rakhine state government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew order in Sittway Thursday night in a bid to prevent violence from spreading further, according to local Rakhine official sources.
The curfew is effective from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.(local time).
Tension has prevailed in Rakhine state ahead of the nationwide census which is the first in three decades.
Thousands of Rakhine ethnic residents have been protesting over the past several days against listing Rohingya as Myanmar ethnic people in the census.
Rakhine state was once hit by bloody sectarian violence in mid- 2012.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/myanmar-govt-forms-investigation-commission-to-probe-into-rakhine-incident/
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