A court in Burma has sentenced three U.N. staff workers to prison for their alleged involvement in recent communal violence in western Rakhine state.

The government's Rakhine Riot Information Committee chairman, Hla Thein, says Friday a district court found the three staffers, all Burmese Muslims, guilty of inciting violence, promoting hatred between Buddhists and Muslims and having illegal amounts of foreign currency. They were given sentences ranging between two and six years imprisonment.

U.N. Spokesman Aye Win says they were not informed of the trial in advance and are disappointed by its outcome.

Burma detained at least 12 humanitarian aid workers, including U.N. staff, in June for alleged involvement in Rakhine state communal unrest.

Sectarian violence between the majority Buddhist Rakhine and minority Muslim Rohingya exploded in May after a busload of Rohingya were killed over rape allegations. At least 88 people were killed in riots and retaliatory attacks.