5 people confirmed killed in violence in Myanmar

Five people including an old woman have been killed in communal violence in Thandwe, Myanmar's western Rakhine state over the last three days with some houses burnt down, state radio confirmed in a night broadcast Thursday. Myanmar's government, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said a verbal dispute among local people over a car parking space sparked the riot on Sunday night in Thandwe. The statement urged prompt action to be taken on the rioters, calling on people to cooperate for efforts to avoid recurrence of conflicts and rebuild the riot-torn houses. Myanmar authorities have extended the already-imposed curfew starting Tuesday evening. The violence broke out shortly before Myanmar's President U Thein Sein made an inspection tour to the Rakhine state, which takes him to the areas of Mrauk U, Kyauktaw, Maumgtaw, Sittway and Kyaukpyu.