Wednesday, September 26, 2007

UK's Brown vows "no impunity" for abuse in Myanmar

(Adds PM spokesman, Miliband quotes)

BOURNEMOUTH, England, Sept 26 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a U.N. Security Council meeting on Myanmar on Wednesday, vowing there would be "no impunity" for human rights violators in the country.

"I hope the Security Council will meet immediately, meet today, and discuss this issue and look at what can be done. The first thing that should be done is the U.N. envoy should be sent to Burma (Myanmar)," Brown told reporters at a conference of Britain's ruling Labour Party.

"There will be no impunity in future for those who trample the human rights of the people of Burma."

Brown spoke as a hospital source said one person was killed and five wounded in Myanmar's main city on Wednesday when security forces moved in to disperse the biggest anti-junta demonstrations in 20 years.

"I think everybody knows now that the whole issue of sanctions is going to take on a new dimension," he said.

The European Union was going to look at "a whole range of sanctions that could be imposed", he said.

"The whole world is now watching Burma and its illegitimate and repressive regime should know that the whole world is going to hold it to account. The age of impunity in neglecting and overriding human rights is over," he said.

"I think the international pressure that can be made to be felt in the next few days is incredibly important. I want to see the whole of the world getting together on this, each continent of the world can come together."

A spokesman for the prime minister later said Brown would be phoning world leaders about the situation.

"We certainly expect him to speak to (U.N. Secretary-General) Ban Ki-moon today," the spokesman said, adding Brown hoped also to talk to U.S. President George W. Bush.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who is due to fly to New York for U.N. meetings later on Wednesday, urged Myanmar authorities to exercise restraint in responding to the protests and said they would be held accountable for their conduct.

A British government official said Miliband would discuss the situation with China's Foreign Minister later on Wednesday.

"It is very important that we maintain this unanimous international call for restraint," he told reporters in Bournemouth, southern England.

He said no contact had been made with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who appeared in front of her house on Saturday to greet marching monks. A well-placed source told Reuters she had been moved to the Insein prison on Sunday, although the information could not be confirmed.

"She will know that the world is on her side and a democratic Burma must be the end result. But in the short term the message is restraint and protection of the brave people who are marching," Miliband said. (additional reporting by Sophie Walker)

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