Sectarian and ethnic clashes have proved the biggest challenge to Mr. Thein Sein's administration since wide-scale violence erupted last year in the southwestern state of Rakhine, targeting Muslims from the ethnic Rohingya group.

WSJ: Muslims Sentenced After Myanmar Clashes

Sectarian and ethnic clashes have proven the biggest challenge to Mr. Thein Sein's administration since widescale violence erupted last year in the southwestern state of Rakhine, targeting Muslims from the ethnic Rohingya group.

WSJ: Muslims Sentenced After Myanmar Clashes

The government has faced criticism from human-rights groups over the treatment of its Muslim population, particularly in southwestern Rakhine state, where more than 100, 000 Muslims from the Rohingya ethnic group have been driven from their homes.

WSJ: Myanmar Town Torched in Sectarian Violence