Myanmar’s presidential spokesman Zaw Htay said 176 ethnic Rohingya villages are now empty after all of their residents fled during recent violence in Rakhine state, reports the Hindustantimes.

Rohingya Muslims face widespread persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where the recent violence has driven hundreds of thousands to seek refuge overseas.

Zaw Htay said there had been a total of 471 Rohingya villages in three townships. He said in addition to the 176 that were abandoned, some residents fled from at least 34 other villages.

Zaw Htay did not use the name Rohingya.

Zaw Htay did not use the name Rohingya. Members of the ethnic group are commonly referred to as ‘Bengalis’ by many in Myanmar who insist they migrated illegally from Bangladesh.

Zaw Htay also said Myanmar would not allow all people who fled to return. He said: ‘We have to verify them. We can only accept them after they are verified.’

Bangladesh was already home to about 400,000 Rohingya, who fled earlier conflict in Myanmar including a similar security crackdown in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state in response to militant attacks in October.