Brown urges UN action on Myanmar

BOURNEMOUTH, England - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a United Nations 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," he said.

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 added.

"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," he added.
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