Attacks by extremist Buddhists in Myanmar have forced hundreds of fearful Muslims to take shelter in a Buddhist temple in the northeastern town of Lashio.
Some 1,200 Muslims who fled the latest bout of sectarian and ethnic violence huddled Thursday in the Buddhist monastery.
The area has been the scene of violence against Muslims by Buddhists in the past few days.
Victims said the violence is expected to get worse in the troubled region and its surroundings.
Å“We heard things could get worse, so we waved down soldiers and asked them for help,” said 59-year-old Khin Than, who arrived at the monastery Thursday morning with her four children.
At least one Muslim has been killed, and Muslim property has been burned down over the past 24 hours.
Scores of Rohingya Muslims have been killed and thousands of others displaced as a result of attacks by Buddhist extremists in Myanmar in recent months.
International bodies accuse the government of turning a blind eye to the attacks.
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar account for about five percent of the countryâ„¢s population of nearly 60 million. They have been persecuted and faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country’s independence in 1948.
Myanmarâ„¢s government has been repeatedly criticized for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslims.
JR/KA
This article originally appeared on: Press TV