Sittwe, Myanmar — Dozens of people have been killed in a surge in sectarian violence in Myanmar, an official said Tuesday, as international pressure grew for an end to the violence.

A state of emergency has been declared for western Rakhine state, which has been rocked by a wave of rioting and arson, posing a major test for the reformist government which took power last year.

“About 25 people have been killed during the unrest,” a senior government official said, requesting anonymity. He did not give details of how they died or whether they were Buddhists or Muslims.

A further 41 people were wounded in five days of unrest, he said.
The death toll does not include 10 Muslims who were killed June 3 by a Buddhist mob in apparent revenge for the rape and murder of a woman, which sparked the violence in Rakhine.

Rights organizations fear the death toll could be much higher than the official figure. Gunfire rattled the state capital Sittwe Tuesday and there was a heavy security presence, according to an AFP reporter.

Separately, police in neighboring Bangladesh said a Muslim died in a hospital there Tuesday after he was allegedly shot by Myanmar security forces before escaping across the border. — AFP