NAPYITAW, Myanmar, July 31 (UPI) -- Officials in Myanmar denied excessive force was used to put down riots last month involving Buddhists and ethnic Rohingya Muslims.
Rather, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement, authorities used "maximum restraint" in dealing with fighting that killed more than 70 people in Rakhine state, Voice of America reported.
Both U.N. officials and human rights groups charge the government response targeted the Muslim minority.
Amnesty International said Rohingya and other Muslim groups were subjected to "physical abuse, rape, destruction of property and unlawful killings."
The riots left about 80,000 homeless, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights reported. Authorities in Myanmar said most of those, who now live in camps or with host families, are Muslim.
U.N. expert Tomas Ojea Quintana was scheduled to visit Rakhine Tuesday.
The violence began after Buddhists killed 10 Muslims June 3 in revenge for the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman May 28.
About 800,000 Rohingya live in Myanmar and are viewed by many non-Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
