chtnews.com
News No. 16/2014,
Sunday, May 25, 2014
THE police fired blank
shots to disperse a crowd of Buddhist devotees who assembled in Todekmara
Kizing (Dui Tila) of Baghaichari in Rangamati district to place a shed over a
statue of the Lord Buddha built a few days ago.
On 28 April, the army
had obstructed the Buddhist people from constructing a temple in Todekmara
Kizing and the local civil administration had imposed section 144 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, banning the gathering of more than 4 persons.
A strong contingent of
police and army soldiers has been deployed to the area since then.
According to local
sources, fresh troubles began at 7:30am today, Sunday, when the
police prevented a group of devotees from placing a shed over a Buddha statue,
built in an open space, to protect it from rain and sunshine.
At one point, the
devotees locked in a brawl with the policemen, who fired three blank shots to
disperse the crowd.
The army then removed
and threw the tin shed on to the road, one of the devotees who were present at
the scene told chtnews.com.
Additional police and
army troops have been deployed, and the army is alleged to be blocking vehicles
from accessing Baghaichari.
Tensions are running
high in the area.
----------------