Myanmar: Three Muslims Sentenced to Death for Rape and Murder of Buddhist Woman

Three Muslim men who were accused of raping and killing a woman have been sentenced to death by a district court in Kyaukphyu, western Myanmar. Htet Htet, Mahmud Rawphi, and Khochi also known as Myint Swe, raped and killed Thida Htwe, 27 on 28 May in Rakhine state, a court heard.

Htet Htet, who was accused of masterminding the murder, committed suicide in jail last week but was sentenced posthumously.

The death of the woman, who was a Buddhist, heightened existing religious and ethnic tensions and led to a series of violent sectarian attacks in the region. The accused belonged to the Rohingya tribe and were Muslim.

A mob of about 300 people attacked a bus on 3 June and killed 10 Muslim Rohingya pilgrims.

More ethnic clashes erupted, leading to the deaths of up to 50 people. More than 1,662 homes were destroyed and over 30,000 people displaced.

Human Rights Watch and other groups have sounded warnings about long-standing divisions and sectarian tensions between the Rohingya people and the Burmese authorities.

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