No action on Myanmar coup by U.N. Security Council

The U.N. envoy for Myanmar requested an emergency gathering of the Security Council on Tuesday to assure that "democracy is expeditiously restored" to the Southeast Asian country, but the United Nations' most influential body took no direct action.

Christine Schraner Burgener, the Myanmar minister who is currently in Europe, strongly denounced the military's takeover of the state and said the council must "collectively send a clear sign in support of the government in Myanmar" and ensure the people "doesn't fall back into isolation.

Diplomats said replacing democracy was the key part of a draft statement prepared for the council to give to the media after the closed-door conference, along with a condemnation of the military's action and also call for the immediate release of all those detained.

But the statement wasn't issued because it will require support from all 15 council members, and the U.N. charges for China and Russia said they wanted to send it to their capitals for review, the judges said, talking on anonymity condition the conference was closed. China has solid ties to Myanmar. Schraner Burgener told the committee that the Myanmar military's declaration of a state of crisis and retention of top leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and several others of administrators and civilian leaders just as the new parliamentary session was on to open Monday "was unexpected and surprising."

The military announced the seizure of power was needed because the government had not done on the military's unsupported claims of fraud in November's election in which Suu Kyi's party won by a majority of seats.

Britain's U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, the current council, and its president made it clear to the reporters that ambassadors echoed widespread international concerns about the military's action at the virtual session after the meeting.