UN warns Burma's reform program could be put at risk

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN has warned that Burma's reform program could be put at risk by continued communal violence in the western state of Rakhine, BBC News reported

The warning comes as the death toll from clashes between Buddhists and Muslims soared to more than 100, according to local officials.

Thousands of homes have been destroyed as clashes spread across the state.

This is the first serious outburst of violence since June, when a state of emergency was declared in Rakhine.

At that time deadly clashes claimed dozens of lives and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes - many are yet to return.

The increased death toll appears to be largely the result of reports of deaths coming in from remote areas of the state

The statement by the UN appears to be the strongest yet on the unrest which has gripped the state since June.

It warns the government that all its impressive progress on reforming Burma's authoritarian political structures could be undone by the damage caused to the country's social fabric if the unrest cannot be stopped.