[Myanmar] Civil Society Groups Plan Arakan Forum

Civil society groups in Arakan State say they plan to hold a “Rakhine State Public Meeting†on Sept. 25-26 to encourage people in the region to live together peacefully. Organizers said the forum will be held in Rathedaung Township, north of capital Sittwe, and that they have requested permission for 400 individuals from across the state to attend, including academics and social workers. Politicians will be invited to the meeting as observers. Arakan State has been the scene of much sectarian violence in the past months between Rakhine Buddhists and members of the Rohingya Muslim community.