(CNN) -- The death toll climbed again in Myanmar's volatile west on Friday as sectarian clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims that have seen thousands of homes set ablaze flared for a fifth day.
The continuing violence
occurred despite authorities sending extra security forces to the state
of Rakhine to clamp down on the unrest -- and casts a shadow over recent
reforms in the Asian nation.
At least 64 people have
died in clashes across six townships over five days, Rakhine state
spokesman Win Myaing said Friday. Almost half those killed were women.
Several people were also
injured Friday when security forces opened fire to disperse a crowd, the
spokesman said. The injuries were unintentional, he added.
Local resident Aung Min Khaing, 25, was one of 27 people treated Friday at the hospital in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state.
Khaing, from Minbya
township, told CNN he was struck in the arm and back by bullets but
wasn't sure who had opened fire -- the security forces or Rohingyas.
The situation across
Rakhine state was not much worse than a day earlier, Myaing said,
although some houses in Yanbye Township were set on fire.
Rakhine is home to the
Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who say they have been persecuted
by the Myanmar military during its decades of authoritarian rule.
Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens.
Opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi called Friday in Parliament for a greater security force
presence to bring the conflict under control.
She also urged a transparent investigation by the authorities of suspected human rights offenses.
No demonstrations were reported Friday in the capital, Yangon.
Unrest between the
majority Buddhists and the Rohingya has tested efforts of President
Thein Sein's administration to seek reconciliation with Myanmar's
different ethnic groups and move the country toward more democratic
governance.
The president's office warned Thursday that "manipulators" behind the violence can expect to be found and prosecuted.
No ban has been put in
place on celebrations for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, the
president's office said Friday. However, Yangon's regional government
said it could only promise security for Eid celebrations in certain
places.
Overnight curfews, in
effect since a severe outbreak of communal violence during May and June,
have been lengthened in several townships, said Myo Than, manager of
Rakhine state government's information department.
The clashes between
Buddhists and Rohingyas during the summer killed at least 88 people --
mostly Rohingya -- according to state-run media.
That violence erupted
after police detained three Muslim men on accusations they raped and
killed a Buddhist woman. Clashes spread, prompting the government to
deploy the military to restore order.
Hundreds of Rohingyas
tried to cross the border into neighboring Bangladesh but were turned
back. Bangladesh said it already had too many Rohingya refugees,
estimating that about 300,000 live in the country.
Even after the killing stopped, simmering tensions remained in Rakhine, as demonstrated by the resumption of violence this week.
Those who lost their
homes have had to live in refugee camps. About 75,000 people were
displaced, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar.
Myo Than said the
government is aiming to return the situation to normal by organizing
negotiations between the two sides and increasing security.
According to Human
Rights Watch, Myanmar's laws discriminate against the Rohingya,
infringing on their rights to freedom of movement, education and
employment. They are denied land and property rights and ownership. The
land on which they live can be taken away at any time.
Human Rights Watch has
also accused security forces of opening fire on the Rohingya population
during the recent wave of violence -- an accusation the government
denied.
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