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Buddhists, Muslims clash in Myanmar leaving at least two people dead

A Muslim and a Buddhist were killed.

By Ed Adamczyk

MANDALAY , Myanmar, July 3 (UPI) -- Two people were killed as Buddhists and Muslims rioted and clashed in the streets of Mandalay, Myanmar, for a second consecutive night.

A Muslim man was attacked and killed while walking to a mosque. No information was given on the death of the other victim, a Buddhist.

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Since 2012, when a Buddhist woman was raped and murdered, Myanmar has seen violent incidents between its majority Buddhist population and Muslims, who are only about four percent of the population.

The latest confrontations Tuesday and Wednesday -- provoked by rumors a Muslim shop owner raped a Buddhist woman -- prompted mobs to convene and attack Muslim-owned small businesses. Buddhists on motorbikes also traveled through the city, Myanmar's second-largest, throwing stones and Muslim-owned shops.

Police fired rubber bullets and arrested four people Tuesday, but Muslim and local politician Win Mya Mya claimed police failed to restrain the Buddhist crowds.

Myanmar President Thein Sein, in a statement, sought an end to the violence, noting, "As our country is a multi-racial and -religious nation, the current reform process will be successful only when stability is maintained through the co-operation of all the citizens by living harmoniously with one another."

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