UN expert urges access to Myanmar's conflict-hit Rakhine

YANGON, Myanmar – A U.N. expert on the impact of conflict on children has expressed concern over a lack of access to Myanmar's Rakhine state, where about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since last August to escape army-led violence.

Virginia Gamba told reporters in Yangon on Tuesday that figures that have emerged on killing, maiming and sexual violence in Rakhine are worrisome, but it's even more troubling not to have a full monitoring ability.

Gamba, who is the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict, met with Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, armed forces chief Senior General Soe Win and other officials during her two-day visit to the Buddhist-majority country.

She said she asked the government to allow her team access to Rakhine state.