UN Security Council expresses concern over Myanmar crisis

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has issued a press statement expressing deep concern about ongoing violence in Myanmar, whose military-installed government is using lethal force against opponents. The Security Council’s action comes as Myanmar’s army appears to be conducting a major offensive in the country’s northwest amid warnings that the nation’s humanitarian situation is sharply deteriorating, with food shortages and a weakened public health system. A press statement carries less weight than an official resolution, and can serve as a way of achieving consensus among Security Council members that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. Two of its permanent members, Russia and China, maintain warm relations with Myanmar’s current government.