The speech has received a mixed response.
Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been heavily criticised for her silence over what the UN human rights chief has said seems to be "textbook ethnic cleansing".
A televised national address in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, sought to reassure both the Rohingya minority at the centre of the violence, as well as the international community which has been watching closely.
Ms Suu Kyi began the half hour address by defending the amount of time she's had to resolve ethnic tensions dating back decades.
"Burma is a complex nation, as all of you know and it's complexities are compounded by the fact that people expect us to overcome all these challenges in as short a time as possible. I think it is only fitting that I should remind you today that our government has not yet been in power for even 18 months."
The latest violence was sparked by an August 25 attack on police posts in Rakhine state, which was blamed on Rohingya Muslims.
The military says its response was aimed at rooting out militants and it denies targeting civilians.
Ms Suu Kyi says the security forces have been instructed to adhere strictly to the code of conduct, and that any violation of human rights would be addressed in accordance with strict norms of justice.
"Action will be taken against all people, regardless of their religion, race, political position, who go against the laws of the land and violate human rights as accepted by our international community."
Ms Suu Kyi went on to say there has been no armed clashes since September the 5th .
"Nevertheless we are concerned to hear that numbers of Muslims are fleeing across the border to Bangladesh. We want to find out why this exodus is happening. We would like to talk to those who have fled, as well as to those who have stayed. I think it is very little known that the great majority of Muslims in the Rakhine state have not joined the exodus. More than 50 per cent of the villages of Muslims are intact."
Ms Suu Kyi insisted Myanmar is ready to begin the repatriation of the more than 410-thousand Rohingya refugees who have fled across the border.
"We are ready to start the verification process at any time, and those who have been verified as refugees will be accepted by this country - without any problems and with full assurance of their access to security and humanitarian aid."
During years of military rule and house arrest, Ms Suu Kyi was long feted in the West for her role as a pro-democracy campaigner in the Buddhist-majority country.
But she has come under growing pressure by critics who say she has done little to solve abuses faced by the Rohingya.
Ms Suu Kyi cancelled a trip to this week's annual United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York due to the growing crisis.
She said she did not fear international scrutiny but made a plea for the global community to look at Myanmar as a whole in its journey towards peace and stability.
"It is sad that in meeting our diplomatic community I'm obliged to focus on just a very few of our problems when there are so many that I think we could resolve together."
