The US and the UK governments have called for an immediate halt to the sectarian violence that has racked Arakan State in recent days. “We are deeply concerned by reports of ongoing violence in Burma’s Rakhine State. We are monitoring the situation and urge an immediate halt to violent attacks,” the US State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, said in a statement.
British Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne called on all parties to act with restraint and insisted that authorities and community leaders open discussions “to end the violence and to protect all members of the local population.” Britain and the rest of the international community will continue to monitor the situation very closely, stressed Mr Browne.