Myanmar leader: 'Instigators' escalated private dispute into violence From Kocha Olarn, CNN March 28, 2013 -- Updated 1548 GMT (2348 HKT) A heavily damaged mosque in is shown Thursday in the Myanmar town of Gyobingauk, in Bago division. Myanmar's president speaks for the first time since declaring state of emergency He blames "instigators" for trying to spread violence At least 40 people were killed last week in sectarian violence (CNN) -- A state of emergency in Myanmar was put in place to stop "attempts by a small number of people to spread ... violence to other parts of the country," President Thein Sein said Thursday. In his first speech since making the emergency declaration last week in response to clashes between Buddhists and Muslims, he accused "instigators" of escalating a private dispute into sectarian violence that killed at least 40 people last week. "We did not resort to the use of force immediately mainly because we do not want any possible endangerment of our ongoing democratic transition and reform efforts," the president said. That said, I am firmly committed to use the power vested in me by the constitution to deploy our security forces and to use existing laws to prevent and protect the life, liberty and security of my fellow citizens. READ: Tensions persist between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar The president said some were exploiting the situation to engineer violence in other parts of the country. "I would like to warn all political opportunists and religious extremists who try to exploit the noble teachings of these religions and have tried to plant hatred among people of different faiths for their own self-interest: Their efforts will not be tolerated," he said. READ: Myanmar police fire rubber bullets at rioters One group, the Myanmar Islamic Religious Organization, blamed the government for the loss of lives. "It is analyzed that loss of Muslims' lives and properties, mosques and religious schools in this way are due to weakness and omission of administrative authorities to provide protection and take action effectively," the organization said in a statement. The unrest highlights the fragility of ethnic relations in Myanmar, also known as Burma, as it emerges from decades of military repression. The sudden boiling over of tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar follows sectarian troubles that killed scores of people in the western part of the country last year.