By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

YANGON, Myanmar – The Muslim population in Myanmar continues to live in fear after a recent fire engulfed a downtown Yangon mosque and religious school killing 13 students on April 2nd.

The central government and local police investigators maintain that the fire was accidental and most likely a product of faulty wiring which caused an electrical short circuit.  The police attempted to calm the fears of the people and promised that an investigative committee would be established to look into the incident a bit further.

Security forces were sent in by the central government to disperse an angry crowd that had gathered in downtown Yangon demanding the truth regarding the deadly fire that killed Muslim children.  Muslims continue to believe that the fire was a product of sectarian violence.

The fortunate children and teachers that were able to escape the blaze told the press that the doors to the mosque and religious school were locked when those inside attempted to escape when the fire first started.  The doors were only opened after emergency response teams reached the scene.

Furthermore, the escapees said that there was an oily substance on the ground that smelled like petrol or diesel.  Many of the children and teachers slipped on the dirty, oily substance while trying to escape.  Muslim leaders continue to impose their suspicions with new evidence, like the oily substance on the floors, coming to light.

The Muslim population’s fears are not unfounded.  The accidental fire at the mosque comes at a time when the Buddhist “969” movement is gaining steam in Myanmar.  The 969 movement has been the driving force behind anti-Muslim violence throughout Myanmar.

969 supporters, like Kyi Lwin, tell the media that the movement is not necessarily supporting violence against Muslims.  Kyi says that the movement is meant to “build a fence” around Buddhism and its followers.  They want to discourage Buddhist to Muslim interaction; they are not trying to convert or destroy the religion in anyway.

Muslims in Myanmar, however, like Mohamed Irshad, say that they cannot even sleep at night due to the rising amounts of sectarian violence.  Irshad says that those in his neighborhood must be on constant guard in case the Buddhists attack again.

Ruhla Min takes a different approach.  He and his congregation were instructed to peacefully pray for a resolution to the violence and conflict.  Ruhla Min’s congregation does not want to add any more fuel to the fire that is already smoldering in Yangon and beyond.

For further information, please see:

Reuters – Fear stalks Yangon’s Muslims after Buddhist-led killings – 10 April 2013

France 24 – Muslim school fire kills at least 13 in Yangon – 2 April 2013

India TV News –  13 die in devastating fire in Muslim orphanage school in Yangon, Myanmar – 2 April 2013

NBC World News – 13 boys killed in Myanmar Islamic school fire amid anti-Muslim violence – 2 April 2013