Fresh communal violence has left at least three people dead in western Myanmar, government officials said Wednesday, as the United States praised Naypyidaw’s “constructive” response to the clashes. Three Buddhists were killed on Tuesday in the village of Yathedaung, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, according to an official who did not want to be named. “The death toll could be higher,” the official told AFP from Sittwe, adding that monsoon rains had hampered transport and communication links to the area. Despite the new outbreak of bloodshed, the official said the situation was “under control in most parts of Rakhine state”, where emergency rule has been in place for more than a week. The region has been rocked by rioting, arson and a cycle of revenge attacks involving Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya, prompting growing international concern. The clashes have left more than 60 people dead, another official said, including 10 Muslims killed on June 3 by a Buddhist mob seeking revenge for the rape and murder of a Rakhine woman — the apparent spark for the unrest.
