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Britain says it is close to securing votes needed to debate Myanmar at UN

by Staff Writers
London (AFP) Jul 25, 2006
Britain is close to securing the votes needed to put the military junta in Myanmar under scrutiny at the UN Security Council, a first step toward condemning it, a government official said Tuesday.

Foreign Office Minister Ian McCartney also told members of parliament that he had personally pleaded with Myanmar's ambassador in London to help end the military junta's alleged use of child soldiers.

During questions in parliament's lower House of Commons, McCartney said he was "close" to securing the nine votes needed to put Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, on the agenda for the United Nations Security Council.

The move would mark the first step in passing a resolution condemning the junta.

"We are working closely not only with the US but other partners on the council to ensure there's a full debate on Burma which we hope will lead to a resolution," McCartney said.

"Our first objective is to get Burma formally added to the UN Security Council agenda.

"I can't tell the House I have got those nine votes yet but we are close to doing so.

"I'm hoping that we can then, having got those nine votes, proceed to put the motion at the council and with that a clear indication that the international community has not just lost its patience with Burma but are prepared to take action to represent the needs of the Burmese people, trapped in a country, powerless and voiceless and only we can help resolve that."

Saying he was breaking with tradition by revealing the contents of diplomatic talks, McCartney earlier told members of parliament that had asked ambassador Kyaw Win to explain the junta's position on child soldiers.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told AFP that Kyaw Win met McCartney at the Foreign Office on June 15 after the minister had called him in to "address matters of concern."

"On this issue of child soldiers, I asked the ambassador to look me in the eye -- not as an ambassador, not me as a politician but as a grandfather and a father," he told MPs.

"And I asked him to tell me why it is that so many of his (country's) children have had their childhood stolen..."

"He did not answer that question but I looked him in the eye and I asked him again and I asked him again and I will continue to ask him until he rids his country of child soldiers," McCartney said.

In January 2004, Myanmar angrily rejected a report by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that accuses the government army of using child soldiers.

Labour member of Parliament Sian James said Myanmar was propped up by the highest number of child soldiers in the world.

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UN official accuses Israel of excessive force in Gaza
Nusseirat, Gaza Strip (AFP) Jul 25, 2006
UN humanitarian coordinator Jan Egeland on Tuesday blasted Israel's air strike last month on the sole power plant in the impoverished Gaza Strip as a "clear" example of disproportionate use of force.







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