Two U.S. congressmen have called on the UN Security Council to take steps against Burma, after reports that Burma's military has displaced more than 11,000 ethnic minority civilians.
Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos of the state of California and Republican Congressman Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania said Wednesday that the Security Council should pass a resolution on Burma. The Council held a hearing on the Burmese human rights situation in December.
Earlier Wednesday, the Free Burma Rangers, a relief group that works inside the impoverished country, said government attacks against the Karen minority have intensified since March. It said troops have burned villages and killed civilians in at
least two ethnic Karen districts Nyaunglebin and Toungoo.
One of Burma's major ethnic groups, the Karen have been fighting for independence for more than 50 years. The rebels have reached a provisional truce with the government, but sporadic fighting continues.
Information for this report is provided by Reuters.
