( CNN ) -- The United Nations said Monday that it has begun pulling staff out of a western state of Myanmar where the government has declared a state of emergency following clashes between Muslims and Buddhists . The inter-ethnic violence in the state of Rakhine has killed at least 17 people in just over a week , according to official media . President Thein Sein 's office issued an order imposing a state of emergency in Rakhine on Sunday , saying `` riots and disturbances '' had spread , according to the New Light of Myanmar , a government-run newspaper . The United Nations is temporarily relocating its staff from the area on a voluntary basis for safety reasons , said Ashok Nigam , the organization 's resident and humanitarian coordinator in Yangon , Myanmar 's largest city . He said news reports and information from U.N. workers suggested that the unrest was making it impossible to continue operating in the region . Violence in the western coastal area of Myanmar , which borders Bangladesh , erupted after the police detained three Muslim men in relation to the rape and killing of a Buddhist woman late last month . Anger over the case fueled an attack by about 300 local people on a bus in the Taungup area of Rakhine that killed 10 Muslim passengers on June 3 , according to the New Light of Myanmar . Clashes have multiplied since then , alarming the authorities . Rakhine is home to the Rohingya , an ethnic Muslim minority who say they have been persecuted by Myanmar 's ruling military junta and have long sought refuge in other places . Over the years , Rohingya have fled by sea in small boats to other countries like Thailand and Malaysia . The United Nations has estimated that more than 200,000 Rohingya live in legal limbo in Bangladesh . `` What is currently happening in the Rakhine state is about putting grievances , hatred , and desire for revenge at the forefront , based on racial and religious grounds , and that 's why anarchic actions are becoming widespread , '' Thein Sein , the president and former military official , said in a televised address Sunday . The unrest runs counter to the efforts of Thein Sein 's administration to seek reconciliation with Myanmar 's different ethnic groups and move the country toward more democratic governance . Western governments have rewarded progress in the country over the past year by easing economic sanctions . Violence in Rakhine on Friday killed seven people and wounded 17 , according to the New Light of Myanmar . It said that 494 houses , 19 shops and one guesthouse were destroyed . The state of emergency means that defense forces will help maintain order in the state . The authorities also appear to be clamping down on the flow of information from Rakhine . The board of censors has told non-government publications in Myanmar that it will censor any articles on the situation in the western state that are not based on official reports , according to two people from different news media organizations who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals . Attempts to reach the Myanmar authorities for comment on the matter on Monday were unsuccessful . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the United States is concerned about the reported violence , and `` urges all parties to exercise restraint and immediately halt all attacks . '' Praising recent reform efforts by the Myanmar 's national government , Clinton said : `` The situation in Rakhine State underscores the critical need for mutual respect among all ethnic and religious groups and for serious efforts to achieve national reconciliation . '' CNN 's Sarita Harilela , Jethro Mullen and Licia Yee contributed to this report .
NEW : Authorities threaten to censor reporting by non-government media . Violence in western U.S. has killed three people in late last month . A state of emergency has been declared after clashes between Muslims and Muslims . `` Anarchic actions are becoming widespread , '' says President Ashok Nigam .