US watching closely rising protests in Myanmar--Rice

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 09:48pm (Mla time) 09/23/2007

NEW YORK--The United States is "watching very carefully" the rising protests for democracy in Myanmar, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday, calling the Southeast Asian state's ruling military junta "brutal."

"Certainly, we are watching very carefully and the President [George W. Bush] has been very outspoken about what is happening in Burma [Myanmar]," Rice told reporters with her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi beside her, ahead of their talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.