The deaths of scores of people in communal clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State represent a tragic loss of life which must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice, Amnesty International said. 

"These latest incidents between Muslim Rohingyas and Buddhists demonstrate how urgent it is that the authorities intervene to protect everyone, and break the cycle of discrimination and violence," said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Director. 

In June 2012 a state of emergency was declared in Rakhine state after communal violence between Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists left many dead. 

Amnesty International is also calling on Myanmar’s authorities to review the 1982 Citizenship Law to ensure that Rohingyas are no longer stateless and to tackle the roots of longstanding discrimination against the Rohingya population.