RANGOON, Burma — The United Nations has confirmed that at least 48 Muslims appear to have been killed when Buddhist mobs attacked a village in an isolated corner of western Burma, violence that has been vehemently denied by the government since it was first reported by The Associated Press just more than a week ago.
Presidential spokesman Ye Htut said he "strongly objects" to the U.N. claims and called its information and figures "totally wrong."
A statement issued Friday by Burma's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said accounts of the events issued by news organizations and international agencies were "based on unjustified conclusions drawing from unverified information," and would lead to misunderstandings among ethnic communities in the area.
It cautioned journalists and diplomats that "releasing unverified information" was tantamount to interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs.
Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million people, has been grappling with sectarian violence since June 2012.