Reuters news agency reported that about 1,000 Buddhists, some carrying sticks and swords, attacked Muslim villagers in remote Htan Kone late on Saturday, destroying at least 20 homes and shops.

Police and soldiers arrived later and fired into the air to disperse the crowd, they said.

The violence in the rugged region about 665 km (410 miles) from the commercial capital, Yangon, shows how far anti-Muslim anger has spread in the Buddhist-dominated country following spasms of unrest in northeastern Lashio in May, central Meikhtila in March and western Rakhine State last year.

The Ministry of Information said the unrest followed the attempted rape of a Buddhist woman by a Muslim man on Saturday. After the man was detained, about 150 villagers and three Buddhist monks gathered at the police station, demanding he be handed over to them, it said.

When the police refused, the mob rioted, destroying Muslim homes, throwing rocks at police and attacking firemen before authorities restored order by 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, the ministry said.

Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims have threatened to undermine political and economic reforms the government initiated two years ago after half a century of military rule.

More than 200 people have been killed since June last year and 140,000 displaced. The vast majority of victims have been Muslim.

Sources

Reuters

AP/CTV News

Image: Reuters

The joint statement was issued by Archbishop John Dew (Catholic), Archbishops David Moxon and Brown Turei (Anglican), Bishops Justin Duckworth and Richard Randerson (Anglican), Federation of Islamic Associations President Anwar Ghani and Wellington Regional Jewish Council Chairperson David Zwartz, supported by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

They said that "The film, 'The Innocence of Muslims', was dishonestly made and presented, and designed to mislead, provoke hate, and cause harm. We unequivocally condemn the making and promotion of this irresponsible and inflammatory film and the resulting violence, which has seen the loss of innocent lives".

"We call on all faith communities in New Zealand to remain calm and to strive to foster mutual understanding, counter hate, and promote dialogue, within and between our communities".

Media for Christ, a New Zealand website, has been attacked because it shares a name with the US-based group that reportedly produced 'The Innocence of Muslims' and it pops up at the top of many internet searches for that name.

The NZ Media for Christ says it is is not in the business of hate speech, but instead concerned with disseminating "Christian material - from godly apologists, evangelists, preachers and prophets - to be shared with the church at large".

And they've added a message on their front page confirming that they have nothing to do with their American namesakes.

The Human Rights Commission, the Anglican and Catholic Bishops, the New Zealand Federation of Islamic Associations and the New Zealand Council of Christians and Jews are all supporters of the Statement on Religious Diversity (2007) which affirms that "the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media are vital for democracy but should be exercised with responsibility."

Source

• The Human Rights Commission
• The New Zealand Listener
• Image: Ahmad Ali Karim's Weblog