BBC-Burma denies religious persecut

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Subject: BBC-Burma denies religious persecution 

Wednesday, August 25, 1999 Published at 15:27 GMT 16:27 UK
BBC-World: Asia-Pacific

Burma denies religious persecution

The military government in Burma has denied reports that people from the
Naga ethnic minority have fled into India because of religious persecution
by the Burmese army.

Last week, church leaders in India said at least one-thousand Nagas had fled
in the last month because of forced conversions to Buddhism.

The military government dismissed the report as a fabrication and said it
was part of a smear campaign by the opposition.

Most Nagas practised traditional religions until recently, when they
converted to Christianity.

>From the newsroom of the BBC World Service