YANGON: Myanmar police say Buddhist mobs have burned down dozens of houses and shops after rumors spread that a Buddhist woman was sexually assaulted by a Muslim man. There were no reports of injuries.
Myanmar’s radical monk Wirathu said on his Facebook page that the mob rampaged through a village just outside Kantbalu in the northwest of the country late on Saturday after rumors of the rape spread.
A police officer from the area, who asked not to be named because he did not have authority to speak to the media, said a crowd surrounded the police station demanding that the suspect be handed over. When police refused, they started setting buildings on fire.
He says about 35 houses and 12 shops were destroyed before calm was restored. (AP)