Security forces tried to calm hundreds of supporters outside the court in Rakhine state capital Sittwe as Aye Maung was escorted to a waiting police van following the verdict. Myanmar's Rakhine state is cut by violence and hatred. Yet the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, some of whom are accused of aiding soldiers in the anti-Rohingya campaign, also feels marginalised by the state. This is oppression and bullying of ethnic Rakhine people," one woman shouted in front of court, as the protesters spread to the centre of the town. In recent weeks, the military has waged war on the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group claiming to represent the ethnic Rakhine.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 19, 2019 06:56 UTC