Myanmar says security forces told to avoid collateral damage in Rakhine

Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Myanmar's vice president told the United Nations on Wednesday that security forces in his country's Rakhine State, from which hundreds of thousands of people have recently fled, have been instructed to take "full measures" to avoid collateral damage and harming innocent civilians.

Violence in Rakhine State erupted on Aug. 25, when Rohingya militants launched deadly attacks on government outposts, provoking a fierce crackdown by the Myanmar military that has been greeted with widespread international condemnation, including at the annual U.N. General Assembly this week.