Myanmar police clash with Buddhist group

YANGON, Jan 02 (Reuters): Myanmar police have clashed with insurgents in the troubled western state of Rakhine, state-run media said on Wednesday, as intensified fighting continued between the security forces and an armed group representing the Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group.

The United Nations said about 2,500 people had been driven from their homes since early December when clashes broke out with the Arakan Army, one of several groups fighting Myanmar's army that want more autonomy for ethnic minorities.

The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt in fighting in the north and northeast of the country in order to kick-start stalled peace talks with the armed groups.

Rakhine, in the west, was excluded from the pause, stoking doubts about the military's willingness to bring an end to all the country's conflicts.

Rakhine was where the military launched a campaign in 2017 that has driven more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims into bordering Bangladesh.