*MYANMAR'S -ROHINGYA- MANTLE*

MYANMAR says it would like to see ''clear evidence'' of genocide.

ROHINGYA MUSLIMS  trace their presence in Rakhine back centuries. But most people in majority-Buddhist Myanmar consider them to be-

Unwanted Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. The army refers to the Rohingya as ''Bengalis,''  and most lack citizenship.

GENEVA :

Myanmar want to see  clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has been perpetrated against its Muslims minority in Rakhine state, National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday.

''The vast majority of the Muslims community that was living in Rakhine remain,'' he told reporters in Geneva.

''If it was  genocide, they would all be driven out.''

Nearly  700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine into neighboring Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown in August, joining 200,000  refugees from a previous exodus.

ON WEDNESDAY, UN human rights chief  Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said he strongly suspected  ''acts of genocide,'' while-

Myanmar military published a lengthy response to widespread allegations over its campaign in Rakhine, saying-

Its investigations had  cleared troops of almost all alleged abuses.

Zeid told the UN Human Rights Council that reports:

Of bulldozing of alleged mass graves were a ''deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including- possible crimes against humanity.

While Thaung Tun said charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide were very serious and should not bandied about lightly.

[Agencies]