Massacre In Central Burma: Muslim Terrorized and Killed

By Holly G. Atkinson, MD, FACP and Richard Sollom, MA, MPH

This report details the results of a PHR investigation into the March 20 and 21, 2013, attacks on Muslim students, teachers, and residents in the Mingalar Zayyone quarter of Meiktila, a small town in central Burma.

A two-person team from PHR conducted 33 interviews about the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 children and four teachers. The report details the attacks by the Buddhist mobs, provides evidence that local police officers were complicit in the crimes, and lists policy recommendations for the Burmese government and the international community.

Read the Executive Summary (pdf)

Anti-Muslim violence swept through central Burma (officially theUnion of Myanmar) in spring 2013, reportedly sparked byan argument at a gold shop and the killing of a Buddhist monk in the town of Meiktila on March 20, 2013.

During the next three days, armed groups of men from the majority Buddhist population reportedly set fire to more than 1,500homes, destroyed more than a dozen mosques and three madrassas, and killed more than 100 people among the minority Muslim population in Meiktila and surrounding townships.

Read the report (pdf)

The below map, which includes photographs of the destroyed mosques and Islamic schools in Meiktila, is also in the report. A second map, showing locations of the anti-Muslim violence, also follows.

Map 1: PHR-Verified Destruction of Mosques and Islamic Schools in the City of Meiktila, Burma, 20-23 March, 2013. This map contains original PHR photos; clicking on each point will reveal a photo of the damaged structure.

Map 2: Anti-Muslim Violence in Burma, March–April 2013. This map was produced using information from publicly available media sources.

Map developed at StepMap