Violence between Buddhists and Muslims erupted after the police detained three Muslim men in relation to the rape and killing of a Buddhist woman late last month. Two of the men were sentenced to death this week, the government-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported on its website. A third man hanged himself while in detention on June 9.
News of the crime appears to have motivated several hundred people to attack a bus in Rakhine in early June, killing 10 Muslims who were on board.
Violence between Buddhists and Muslims then spread across the northern part of the state, resulting in the destruction of thousands of homes and the deaths of about 50 people, according to the government.
The national government declared a state of emergency in Rakhine, bringing in the military to help restore order.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/world/asia/myanmar-unrest/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
