Five killed in Myanmar violence

Five people, including an old woman, have been killed in communal violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state over the last three days with some houses burnt down, state radio confirmed in a night broadcast Thursday.

Myanmar's government Wednesday said a verbal dispute among local people over a car parking space sparked the riot Sunday night in Rakhine's Thandwe town, Xinhua reported.

The government urged prompt action to be taken against the rioters, calling on people to cooperate for efforts to avoid recurrence of conflicts and rebuild the riot-torn houses.

Authorities have extended the curfew that was imposed in the town Tuesday evening.

The violence broke out shortly before Myanmar's President U. Thein Sein made an inspection tour to the Rakhine state, which takes him to the areas of Mrauk U, Kyauktaw, Maumgtaw, Sittway and Kyaukpyu.