Official’s murder hypes tensions in Rakhine

An official in a Myanmar town hit by deadly riots about a fortnight ago has been murdered, the government said Wednesday, as tensions remain high in restive Rakhine state.

Bobo Min Hteik, 37, was the administrator of Mrauk U township, where police shot dead seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists on January 16 in a heavy-handed attempt to control a mob angry at the cancellation of a ceremony.

He was found dead on the side of the road on Tuesday evening next to a car, with stab wounds to the chest and shoulder, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

It is unclear whether the killing was linked to the riots, which erupted after authorities blocked a local event commemorating Mrauk U’s history as the former capital of an ancient Rakhine Buddhist kingdom.

The protesters briefly seized a government office and hoisted the Rakhine state flag before police shot into the crowd.

Three days after the incident, however, authorities announced that Bobo Min Hteik would be transferred to the state capital Sittwe.

There are now “significant” tensions between locals and authorities in the wake of the Mrauk U violence, said political analyst Richard Horsey.

“Sentiments are very much inflamed after the shooting, for which local authorities are being blamed. But whether that was why he was killed remains to be established,” he said.