YANGON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein has reiterated his call for prevention of turning domestic communal conflict issue into racial and religious one which is being even exaggerated as regional and international issues in an attempt to bring it to the United Nations, official media reported Monday.
"If it happened, it could harm the image of the country and its reform," U Thein Sein told the Interfaith Friendship Group and Myanmar National Human Rights Commission at Yangon Regional Office Sunday, calling for cooperation with the government to protect the country's image.
Citing the constitution, U Thein Sein said the constitution gives protection to the four major religions including Islam, adding that Myanmar does not accept racial discrimination.
He reiterated that the conflicts in Myanmar were caused by criminal cases.
He called for working together with the government for three priorities, namely rehabilitation of conflict-hit areas, prevention of conflicts from recurring and working out a long-term plan to seek and resolve root causes of the conflicts.
He disclosed that the government has spent over 6 billion Kyats (about 6 million U.S. dollars) on providing aid to over 100,000 victims in cooperation with the international organizations.
He also said punitive action had been taken against those who involved in the conflicts and riots.
During the past two years, there broke out series of communal conflicts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Meikhtila in Mandalay region and Lashio in Shan state.
Of the riot-hit areas, imposition of state of emergency in Meikhtila was lifted on Saturday as peace and stability have been restored in the area.
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