People have fled their homes in droves following the latest clashes in Rakhine state, which was rocked by communal violence in June that split communities and left tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingya living in camps.
"Up until this morning, 51 men and 61 women have died," a spokesman for Rakhine state Win Myaing said, doubling an earlier toll.
The dead were from both sides, he added, while scores more were wounded as violence engulfed four townships.
More than 200 people have now been killed in the state since June, according to the authorities, who have imposed emergency rule in the face of continued explosive tension in the region.
The United Nations responded to the bloodshed Friday with a stark warning that Myanmar's reforms are under threat from the continued unrest between ethnic Rakhine and the Rohingya.
"The vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped," a spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement released in Yangon.
"If this is not done... the reform and opening up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardised."
President Thein Sein has been widely-praised for overseeing sweeping reforms in the former junta-ruled nation, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the election of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament.
But the Rakhine violence poses a stern challenge to the reform process.
State media on Friday took the rare step of acknowledging the damage the resurgent violence is causing to the nation's image at a pivotal moment in its transition from authoritarian rule.
The violence comes as the "international community is watching", a statement signed by the president's office said in government mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar.
Myanmar's 800,000 Rohingya are seen as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh by the government and many Burmese -- who call them "Bengalis".
The latest violence, which prompted Myanmar's main Islamic organisations to cancel celebrations for the four-day Eidul Azha holiday that began on Friday, is seen as serious challenge to the government.
Washington joined the United Nations to swiftly condemn the violence, with US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urging both sides "to exercise restraint and immediately halt all attacks".
Security has been stepped up in affected areas, including around the state's main tourist attraction of Mrauk U and Kyaukpyu, where a major pipeline to transport Myanmar gas to China begins.
Tun Tun, an ethnic Rakhine resident in Mrauk U contacted by AFP from Yangon said the situation in his township had calmed on Friday.
"The situation is calm now. We heard that more security forces were sent from Sittwe (the state capital) to Mrauk U," he said, adding some shops have been closed since violence flared.
AFP journalists visiting Rakhine just before the renewed unrest saw thousands of Muslim Rohingya trapped behind barbed wire and armed guards in a ghetto in the centre of the capital.
Tens of thousands more are housed in camps beyond the city limits as segregation between the two communities becomes more pronounced.
There have been a number of anti-Muslim protests by Buddhists recently.
The stateless Rohingya, speaking a Bengali dialect similar to one in neighbouring Bangladesh, have long been considered by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities on the planet.
Bangladesh on Thursday mobilised extra patrols along its river border with Myanmar amid reports of dozens of boats carrying Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing the clashes.
Dhaka drew criticism from the UN after it turned back boatloads of Rohingya, mainly women and children, after the June violence. But the nation said it would not accept any new refugees because it was already dealing with an estimated 300,000 Rohingya.
The UN's refugee arm has said it fears large numbers of Rohingya will attempt the perilous sea journey south over the coming weeks to escape violence in Rakhine and the sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh.
COMMENTS (20)
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Let these people who lived there for 150 years die and we keep enjoying eid.
@maakigoti Please Indian Urdu-speaking people in Pak are self-made. They don't need you care or pity and it's not like most Pakistanis have any for them anyway.
@Hella1: Very well said .You exactly spoke up my mind.
@Hella1: My heart disagrees but my mind agrees
@Jat: Ahan, so you took offense at the mention of Khalistan and Kashmir violanc..My point was simple that no Nation/Govt is absolutely clean..be it India, Pakistan, US, Russia or Europe, but that doesnt mean that individuals in these Nations cant protest wrong doings.. Your version of Indian history might not have Khalistan, Gujrat or Kashmir but thats not the point. I will still respect your right and cannot hush it if its agianst violance in any part of the world.
If Rohingyas were non-Muslims there would be no riots. Riots only happen between Muslims and other communities. One never hears of riots between Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Jains or any non-Muslim community.Riots only stop when Muslims manage to completely exterminate non-Muslims(as in Pakistan) or vice versa. Non-Muslims are able to co-exist peacefully when living together.
@Midhat @Pakistani
I second your rebutal to @ashish only as far as it debunks his faulty logic. At the same time I invite all people to condemn the covert and/or overt mistreatment of minorities by their respective governments regardless of their nationality.
@Pakistani: What you are trying to say is much more understandable and one would agree with it to a large extent. Where did I discuss or argue Ashish's logic, either for or against ?
But when a person starts using terms like "State funded Khalistan massacre", "Kashmir Violance", and then structures sentences in vague haphazard way, then one can see he has nothing positive to say about anything, and just has an axe to grind.
And I don't suffer fools easily.
@ashish: human rights violations against minorities happen in your Country as well but that doesnt take away your individual right to condemn violance and call spade a spade.
@Jat: in simpler words so that you understand, Midhat meant that if we follow asiash logic every individual in the world will lose the right to protest against evil because some retards in his nation or the state itself might have comiitted crimes at some point in history..which doesnt make sense .. one's right to protest cannot be determined on the actions of others
@Jat: You obviously dont know me, so please refrain from personal attacks on my education and situational awarness. My statement however is open to critisim, and since you missed the obvious sacrasm let me break it down for you. If some fandos are involved in persecution of minorities in Pakistan that doesn't imply that none of us can ever raise voice against violance on humanitarian grounds. Most of the Nations have wrong doings in past and present, but if some sane voice comes out of it condemning violance any where in the world, it Should be heard!
@Midhat: Do read and edit after you type. Nothing you said makes any sense.
Generally speaking, people miss logic if they lack the required mental facilities, situational awareness and proper education.
@ashish; By you Logic, No Indian should ever protest because of State funded Khalistan massacre, Gujrat Riots, Kashmir Violance and numerous others. No American no matter how distanced he is from the Govt, should ever protest in present beacuse of mistreatment of Blacks and Native Americans in the past ( and continuation of war crimes) No Good Jew can ever protest beacuse of violation of human rights in Gaza strip by their Govt. No Yogosalavian, No Russian, No Burmese and essentially no one in the world should ever protest because no ones past or present is as clean.. You Sir, then also should never protest...Forgive me but I always seem to miss logic if any in such minldess statements
As a punjabi I feel we should give refuge to muslims from other parts of the world just like we took care of poor indian and afghan muslims. We still take care of them out of mercy.
Let us not forget Myanmar is close friend of China and we cannot condemn them as loudly as we would like. Just because muslims are attacked doesnt mean we should get all worked up. Let Saudi use its oil muscle.
The Bangladesh Govt should invade Myanmar to save the Bengali Royhing who are being attacked by The Buddhist.Just like the Bengali was saved from the Pakistani army in 1971.So should the Bengali Army rescue the Myanmar Muslim.
Pakistan should take back all 800,000 Rohingyas and the 200,000 stranded Bihari Muslims. After all Pakistan was manufactured to protect the lives and dignity of Muslims living in the Indian subcontinent. Not only that, Pakistan as the only Islamic atomic world power, is the leader of the worldwide Ummah.
pakistani people should not talk about suffering of minority community of muslims in burma. they have no right to protest. just look into mirror.
But those facebook pictures were false!... so i guess I should ignore this news.