Burma death toll revised down to 67

Rakhine state spokesman Win Myaing told reporters shortly before the broadcast that the previous count he had given of 112 dead in violence involving the Buddhist Rakhine and the Muslim Rohingya communities was based on a mistaken tally of figures received by his office.

His revised figures of 64 dead and 68 wounded was slightly lower than that given by state television.

“Many of those who were killed as a result of clashes between the two sides, and at least two died of gunshot injuries,” Mr Win Myaing said.

There has been no breakdown by ethnic group of the casualties. Some Rakhine residents in affected areas have told The Associated Press they were shot at by government soldiers trying to keep order.

The mob violence has seen entire villages torched and has drawn calls worldwide for government intervention.

In June, ethnic violence in the state left at least 90 people dead and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. About 75,000 have been living in refugee camps ever since.

Curfews have been in place in some areas since June, and been extended to others due to the recent violence.

Tensions still simmer in part because the government has failed to find any long-term solution to the crisis other than segregating the two communities in some areas.

Thein Sein’s government has described the problem as an obstacle to development on other fronts. He took office as an elected president last year, and has instituted economic and political liberalisation after almost half a century of repressive military rule.

“As the international community is closely watching Myanmar’s democratic transition, such unrest could tarnish the image of the country,” said a statement from the office of President Thein Sein published today in the state-run Myanma Ahlin newspaper.

Although Mr Win Myaing said earlier that the situation was quiet, a resident of Ramree township, which had been spared in the recent wave of unrest, said there were clashes there this morning.

“Residents are very fearful of imminent attacks by the Muslim community because security presence is very little. We don’t feel safe. We want the Bengalis to be moved away from the Rakhine community,” Kyaw Win, 30, said. Rakhine prefer to use the term Bengali for Rohingya, whom they contend are not a distinct ethnic group.

A few houses had been burned down but that no casualties were reported.

“The army, police and authorities in cooperation with local people will try to restore peace and stability and will take legal action against any individual or organisation that is trying to instigate the unrest,” the presidential statement warned.

The long-brewing conflict is rooted in a dispute over the Muslim residents’ origin. Although many Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations, they are widely denigrated as intruders who came from neighbouring Bangladesh to steal scarce land.

The UN estimates their population in Myanmar at 800,000. But the government does not count them as one of the country’s 135 ethnic groups, and so – like neighbouring Bangladesh – denies them citizenship. Human rights groups say racism also plays a role: Many Rohingya, who speak a Bengali dialect and resemble Muslim Bangladeshis, have darker skin and are heavily discriminated against.

A statement issued yesterday by the office of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Myanmar authorities “to take urgent and effective action to bring under control all cases of lawlessness”.

“The vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped,” a spokesman for Mr Ban said. “If this is not done, the fabric of social order could be irreparably damaged and the reform and opening up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardised.”