Conclusion: "Anti-Indian and anti-Muslim sentiments and violence are not a new phenomenon in Myanmar, with riots and killings having occurred regularly since the British colonial period. At this delicate moment of transition, the risks of these old enmities resurfacing is serious. Both legitimate grievances and bigoted intolerance can now be expressed more openly using modern technology and this allows extremist views, including by some in the Buddhist clergy, to be spread more rapidly and widely. Following intercommunal clashes in Rakhine State in 2012, Myanmar has seen anti- Muslim violence in several towns and villages in the central part of the country, leaving dozens dead and thousands displaced. The response from the authorities has been far from adequate, but there are indications that government leaders and the police recognise the seriousness of the situation and are taking steps to tackle it. President Thein Sein has condemned the violence and stated that he has a ?zero-tolerance? policy, but problems remain in translating these words into reality on the ground. In the most recent incidents, police appear to have been responding more quickly and more assertively, minimising destruction and casualties. Buddhist perpetrators are being prosecuted and imprisoned more quickly and in greater numbers. A security response is not sufficient, however. In order to effectively address the problem, political, religious and community leaders need to condemn extremist rhetoric. Those who are spreading messages of intolerance and hatred must not go unchallenged. Otherwise, this issue could come to define the new Myanmar, tarnishing its international image and threatening the success of its transition away from decades of authoritarianism."