Myanmar violence may have killed more than 1,000, says senior UN representative

This might be from both sides but it would be heavily concentrated on the Rohingya population, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said.

More than 1,000 people may already have been killed in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, mostly members of the Muslim Rohingya minority, a senior United Nations representative told AFP on Friday -- twice the government’s figure.

Pakistan activists shout slogans against Myanmar government to protest against the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. (AFP)

“Perhaps about a thousand or more are already dead,” said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. “This might be from both sides but it would be heavily concentrated on the Rohingya population.”

Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base in Myanmar on August 25. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive has killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of more than 160,000 people to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to official figures.

Myanmar says its forces are in a fight against “terrorists”. State media has accused Rohingya ‘militants’ of burning villages and killing civilians of all religions.

Myanmar does not recognise the 1.1 million Rohingya as citizens, labelling them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.