US Raises Burma Human Rights Issue at UN Security Council

25 June (VOA) - The United States has raised the plight of Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and 1300 other political prisoners before the United Nations Security Council.

After an informal closed-door meeting Friday acting Deputy U.S. Ambassador Gerald Scott said the "situation in Burma continues to decline."

Diplomats attending the session say five of the 15 council members - Britain, France, Denmark, Greece and Romania - also called for Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest.  

But U.S. and European diplomats say Russia and China objected to putting Burma on the council agenda.   Russia 's Representative Konstantin Dolgov said Russia saw no need to include the issue on the agenda because the Security Council is "seized with matters of international peace and security." [Information for this report is provided by AP and Reuters.] [Source]