To last long their dictatorship the army made Muslims scapegoat. During the 1988 democratic uprising the army had distributed many kinds of papers among the Buddhist mass accusing Muslims with many kinds of wrong information which they inherited or taught by the BJP of India. Gen Khin Nyunt masterminded with the support of Sr Gen. Than Shwe.
On June 8, 1988,Aung Gyi wrote to Ne Win that 282 people had been slaughtered in March. A large number had died at “the White Bridge” but many were Muslims who had been rounded up on the 18th March. They had been cremated in contravention of Islamic laws and Muslim belief. At that time Home Minister was Gen. Min Ghaung.
In 1967, the authorities managed to divert attention from internal social and economic woes by instigating attacks on the Chinese community in Rangoon. For reasons which seemed similar, there were widespread anti -Muslim riots in Moulmein,Martaban and some towns in Irrawaddy delta in June and July1984 when there were shortages of goods and local prices went up. Mobs stormed Muslims’ living quarters, looted houses and shops and brunt down a number of mosques. The Muslims became convenient scapegoats.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Zafrudin @ Ko Ko Gyi 