Myanmar man jailed for 26 years after attack on woman that sparked rioting
Ne Win sentenced to 26 years in prison after setting fire to Buddhist woman
A Muslim man whose attack on a Buddhist woman set off sectarian rioting in Myanmar’s northeast has been sentenced to 26 years in prison, a local politician said.
The court sentenced 48-year-old Ne Win on Tuesday after he was convicted of attempted murder, causing serious injury and possession and use of illegal drugs, said National League for Democracy member Sai Myint Maung, who attended the trial.
The rioting in Lashio in Shan state marked the extension of deadly anti-Muslim violence from areas in western and central Myanmar.
The failure of President Thein Sein’s government to stop the religious strife has cast doubts on the progress of his ambitious political and economic reforms, begun when he took office in 2011 after almost five decades of repressive military rule. The violence has also tarnished the reputation of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has not unequivocally condemned the tide of prejudice.
The unrest in Lashio began on May 28 after Ne Win splashed petrol on a woman and set her on fire. She was hospitalised with serious burns.
Buddhist mobs took revenge by burning several Muslim shops, one of the city’s main mosques, an Islamic orphanage and a movie theatre. One person, a Muslim, died.
