Aid workers leave Myanmar city after deadly unrest

Foreign aid workers left a strife-hit city in western Myanmar Friday after their offices came under attack during riots that left an 11-year-old girl dead. Tearful mourners massed to pay respects to the slain child, whom police said was accidentally killed Thursday when security forces tried to quell an angry mob targeting a UN World Food Programme warehouse. Security forces guarded damaged buildings Friday, after mobs hurled stones, smashed property and looted warehouses of foreign humanitarian groups in a region where sectarian strife has displaced tens of thousands. More than a dozen foreigners were seen waiting to board a flight at the city's airport, as many humanitarian organisations temporarily removed their staff from the area to avoid further conflict. The unrest began late Wednesday when hundreds of Buddhists massed around Malteser's offices in Sittwe, accusing an American aid worker of handling a religious flag in a disrespectful manner. More than 70 aid workers, including about 30 foreigners, were given police protection in the wake of the latest violence. The UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar Toily Kurbanov said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence, adding that the organisation was "determined" to continue operating in the region. The Rohingya, referred to by the United Nations as one of the world's most persecuted peoples, are subject to a web of restrictions on travel, work and even marriage.