The government announced the imposition of martial law in central Burma’s Meikhtila as rioting continued for the third day and reports surfaced that mobs, which included Buddhist monks, have been threating and destroying reporters’ footage and photographs.
the Media Freedom Committee released a report claiming journalists working for both domestic and foreign press agencies were being confronted by violent mobs in Meikhtila that threatened to physically harm reporters and seize cameras and destroy memory cards. A DVB reporter was also threatened by rioters wielding swords last night and was forced to delete his footage. Nine journalists, including reporters working for AFP, Messenger news journal and RFA, have been safely evacuated.
According to one activist on the ground, hundreds of Muslim residents began leaving their homes on Thursday night with their hands raised above their heads and are taking shelter at a local sports stadium.