Kyrgyzstan has cancelled a soccer match against the Burmese team that was scheduled for September 5 in Bishkek, citing concerns of a "possible terrorist attack" amid ongoing violence in Burma.
Kyrgyz Football Federation chief Semetei Sultanov told reporters on September 4 that Prime Minister Sapar Isakov decided to call off the match, which was part of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification process.
"There is a high probability of a terrorist act. The match has been canceled in order to beef up security and in order to prevent interethnic discord and mass disorders," Sultanov said.
Sultanov said that the match may be held in another country, but no specific venue or date was announced.
The UN refugee agency said on September 4 that a total of 87,000, mostly Rohingya Muslim, refugees had arrived in neighboring Bangladesh since violence erupted in Burma's Rakhine state on August 25.
Both Burma’s security officials and Rohingya insurgents have accused each other of atrocities.
Tensions between the Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists erupted in bloody rioting in 2012, forcing more than 100,000 Rohingya into displacement camps.
Burma is also known as Myanmar.
Kyrgyzstan is a predominantly Muslim, former Soviet republic in Central Asia with a population of some 6 million.
