Two Muslims killed as police open fire on Myanmar refugee camp

Rohingyas are seen at a camp for displaced people in Myanmar's western Rakhine state (file photo)

At least two people have been killed and six others wounded as government forces opened fire on a refugee camp housing Muslim Rohingyas in western Myanmar.

According to the UN refugee agency, the incident happened when security forces tried to quell a dispute at the camp in the Pauktaw township of the western Rakhine state on Thursday.

The dispute was about how to resettle Rohingya Muslims displaced by deadly sectarian violence in Rakhine.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called for an investigation into Thursday's incident.

    “The agency is appealing to the authorities to handle the matter in a peaceful and calm way to avoid fueling further violence and loss of life,” it said in a statement.

Hundreds of Rohingyas have been killed and thousands displaced in attacks by extremist Buddhists over the past year.

The extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and have set fire to their homes in several villages in Rakhine.

Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar for many years.

Thousands of Rohingyas in Rakhine are deprived of citizenship rights, becoming vulnerable to acts of violence, expulsion, and displacement.

JR/KA
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