A UN envoy warned Burma today of international consequences from its recent suppression of pro-democracy protesters, while the party of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's dismissed the military junta's offer of talks as a surrender demand.
But China and the United States clashed over whether the international community should take any action through the UN Security Council, with Beijing insisting the crisis was an internal affair.
Ibrahim Gambari, addressing the Security Council after a four-day visit to Burma, called for the release of all political prisoners there and voiced concern at reports of continuing government abuses after last week's huge protests.
"Of great concern to the United Nations and the international community are the continuing and disturbing reports of abuses being committed by security and non-uniformed elements, particularly at night during curfew, including raids on private homes, beatings, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances," Mr Gambari told the council.
He said the Burma government must recognise that its ruthless crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monk that grew to 100,000 strong in Rangoon "can have serious international repercussions."
There were reports this week that thousands of monks had been rounded up and sent to prisons in the north of the country but today the junta said many of those detained had since been released.
However, yesterday arrest of civilians and monks continued.
Official media say 10 people were killed during the protests on the streets of the former capital Rangoon but human rights organisations believe the figure to be closer to 200.
The United States said a the UN that it would propose sanctions at the 15-member council if Burma did not "respond constructively" to international concerns.
But warned the United Nations that action would harm ability to use its "good offices" to defuse the crisis.
Following Mr Gambari's visit, military leaders offered talks with the opposition but this was rejected. The party of said the offer was effectively asking Ms Suu Kyi to abandon the campaign for democracy.
"They are asking her to confess to offences that she has not committed," said Nyan Win, spokesman for the Nobel peace laureate's National League for Democracy, whose landslide election victory in 1990 was ignored by the generals.
Senior General Than Shwe, head of the latest junta in 45 unbroken years of military rule, set out his conditions for direct talks at a meeting with Gambari on Tuesday, state-run television said.
Agencies