Violence engulfs northwestern Myanmar.<br/> <br />Muslim and Buddhist residents clashed over the weekend, leaving Muslim homes torched and fueling tensions along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.<br/> <br />Some of the fighting has been deadly, with eight people killed in the sectarian violence on Friday.<br/> <br />In response, the government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in the area.<br/> <br />Authorities and villagers blame the violence on the Rohingya Muslim minority, who live in poverty and are not recognised as citizens by the Burmese government.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Rakhine) UNNAMED RAKHINE WOMAN SAYING:<br/> <br />"There are lots of Rohingyas and they shouted intimidation and threatened to kill us. They were very close to our village. I saw them with my own eyes, they arrested a Rakhine from the 17th quarter of the village. They don't care about our appeals. I am very afraid and I ran away. I am here to tell what happened to us."<br/> <br />This is the worst communal violence in the country since the military junta began democratic reform a year ago.<br/> <br />Jessica Gray, Reuters
