UNITED NATIONS, New York – The UN on Thursday (May 30th) urged authorities in Burma to end a ban on families having more than two children in two Muslim-majority townships in Rakhine state, AFP reported.

The rule was first imposed by Burma's military junta and appears to still be in amid growing tensions between Buddhists and Muslims.

"This policy would be considered discriminatory and would infringe upon the fundamental human rights of the Muslim and the Rohingya communities in those places," UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters.

Pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi has also criticised the ban, as have human rights groups.