BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Communal violence in Central Myanmar’s Bago region shows no signs of abating as mobs destroyed property in three towns in the region.

Rioting intensified in Minhla, Moenyo and Latpadan as mobs set fire to houses, shops, religious structures and motor vehicles. Two suspects were detained by local police on charges of rioting.

Violence began in Bago’s Meikhtila town on the 20th of March after a dispute over the sale of a gold chip. While the violence in Meikhtila has been contained, the rioting has spread to the seven other towns of the region. Dusk to dawn curfews have been imposed in five of these townships and upto 50 suspects arrested so far.

More than 40 people have already been killed and 39 others injured in the rioting. While the army was called out to restore normalcy in Meikhtila, Myanmar President U Thein Sein warned of the use of force to protect citizens if the rioting continued.

(Source: CNTV.cn)