Ethnic conflict in Myanmar

In just over a week of conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar, also known as Burma, at least 40 people have died. According to official UN figures, more than 12,000 people have been displaced by the violence. Tension between Muslims and Buddhists were suppressed during the military dictatorship, which lasted for decades.

The latest bout of violence broke out a week ago in the city of Meiktila. Since then, entire parts of the city have been burned and mosques have been set alight. After the government imposed a state of emergency, the army took control of the city over the weekend.

Since the beginning of the week violence has escalated in the state of Bago, several hundred kilometers away from Meiktila and some 150 kilometers north of Yangon. Witnesses said they saw people destroying a mosque in the city on Monday.

In a televised statement on Monday, March 25, the government called for a stop to "religious extremism." The state newspaper, the "New Light of Myanmar," published a joint statement by well-known Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and Christian leaders demanding the adherents of all the religions to work together for the "love and good" of society.

The country's many conflicts have continued right through its recent process of democratization. Last year, at least 180 people died in bloody clashes between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim minority in the western Rakhine state and at least 115,000 people fled the area. Experts fear the conflicts could increase as democracy continues to develop.

Myanmar is a multiethnic state - of 55 million people, there are over 150 ethnic groups. Nearly 90 percent of the population is Buddhist. Muslims, including around 750,000 Rohingya, make up around 4 percent. They are, however, not officially recognized as an ethnic minority. They are subject to systematic persecution and discrimination.