UNITED NATIONS (AN) — The U.N. Security Council, the world body's most powerful arm, unanimously agreed to condemn violence against Myanmar protesters on Wednesday but stopped short of denouncing the military's coup and instead called for it to exercise the "utmost restraint."
Blocked by Myanmar's powerful neighbor China and Russia from taking a stronger stance by denouncing the coup, or from calling for the return of democratic governance or raising the possible use of sanctions, the 15-nation council adopted a "presidential statement" read by the council's monthly leader that was drafted by the United Kingdom, which ruled Myanmar as British Burma from 1824 to 1948. The statement carries moral authority, but not the weight of a binding resolution.
