Despite the uneasy calm that has descended on Rakhine State since the outbreak of communal violence in 2012, there is little pressure in the north of the state to raise the strict curfew imposed at that time. Even in the Muslim-majority townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw, the measure seems to be grudgingly accepted, local residents say.
After the 2012 conflict, most of northern Rakhine State, including the state capital, Sittwe, promulgated a dusk-to-dawn curfew that was lifted two years ago. But the night-time clampdown is still in force in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, seemingly with the agreement of local residents – both Buddhist and Muslim – who say they fear a resurgence of unrest if it is raised.
Ethnic Rakhine Buthidaung resident U Maung Kyaw Thar, 59, said security conditions were precarious. “Unrest could recur at any time if the curfew is lifted. There are potential troublemakers on both sides,” he said. “With a curfew, nobody can go out at night, so you don’t have to worry about crime.”
Security in the townships is mostly the responsibility of the Myanmar Police Force, which operates in urban areas, and the Myanmar Border Police – formerly known as Na Sa Ka – which is mostly focused on rural areas. While police numbers are low, 10 battalions of border police are stationed across the two districts. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
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