A U.N. rights official says Burma's military rulers are driving the country into further isolation and the world community must help find ways out of the impasse.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the special human rights envoy for Burma, told a committee of the UN General Assembly Thursday that despite grave concern about human rights abuses and the lack of progress toward democratic rule, "we must not give up."
He urged the international community to step up its assistance and to not retreat from supporting the people of Burma. He called for a coordinated international drive to pressure Rangoon's military junta.
Mr. Pinheiro noted that more than 11,00 people are political prisoners in Burma, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the only Nobel peace laureate in detention.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.
