Sectarian clashes occur sporadically in Rakhine State, often between the Buddhist Rakhine people who are majority in the southern part, and Rohingya Muslims who are majority in the north.[21] Before the riots, there were widespread and strongly held fears circulating among Buddhist Rakhines that they would soon become a minority in their ancestral state, and not just the northern part, which has long become a Muslim majority. Rohingyas migrated to Burma from Bengal, today's Bangladesh primarily during the period of British rule,[22][23][24] and to a lesser extent, after the Burmese independence in 1948 and Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.[25][26][21][21] Rakhines believed that many immigrants arrived even after the 1980s. The Burmese government classifies the Rohingya as "immigrants" to Burma, and are thus not eligible for citizenship. Due to their lack of citizenship, they were previously subject to restrictions on government education, officially recognized marriages, and along with ethnic Rakhines, endured forced labor under the military government.[27][28]
On the evening of 28 May, a group of Muslim men robbed, raped and murdered an ethnic Rakhine woman, Ma Thida Htwe, near her village Tha Pri Chaung on May 28 in 2012, when she was returning home from Kyauk Ni Maw Village of Rambree township.[29] The locals claim the culprits to have been Rohingya Muslims. The police arrested three suspects and sent them to Yanbye township jail.[30] On 3 June,[31] a mob attacked a bus in Taungup, apparently mistakenly believing those responsible for the murder were on board.[32] Ten Muslims were killed in the attack,[33] prompting protests by Burmese Muslims in the commercial capital, Yangon. The government responded by appointing a minister and a senior police chief to head an investigation committee. The committee was ordered to find out "cause and instigation of the incident" and to pursue legal action.[34] As of 2 July, 30 people had been arrested over the killing of the Muslims.[35]