Burma Muslims demand asylum

Nine Burmese Muslims have entered the office of the United Nations refugee agency in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The group - six men, two boys and a woman - come from the Burmese Rohingya ethnic minority and are seeking refugee status.

They climbed over a perimetre fence to get into the compound, where they have put up banners asking for help on humanitarian grounds.

Several thousand Rohingya people fled Burma for Malaysia a decade ago, alleging they had been persecuted by the army.

Most have been repatriated by the UN, but correspondents say the plight of those remaining is worsening, as Malaysia takes tougher action against illegal immigrants.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service