Local police disperse demonstrators in northern Myanmar, causing casualties

YANGON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Local police dispersed demonstrators gathering for the right of celebrating the event marking the fall of the Arakan Kingdom in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine state on Tuesday night, and caused casualties, the Rakhine State Police Head Quarter said here on Wednesday.

There were no figured reports of casualties from the incident so far.

Over 1,000 protestors gathered around the government building, where the memorial ceremony marking the 233th anniversary of the fall of the Arakan Kingdom and Arakanese sovereignty was prohibited, at 10:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, an official from local police department told Xinhua.

Further detailed investigation on the incident are underway by the authorities, an official from the Rakhine regional government told Xinhua.

The Arakan lost its sovereignty in 1785.

The diaspora Arakanese, who moved to live in several countries including Bangladesh, India, India, Thailand and the United States, annually held such memorial ceremonies. Enditem