South African Nobel Peace laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has accused world leaders of ignoring continued oppression in Burma.
In an opinion piece published in Thursday's International Herald Tribune, Archbishop Tutu said Burma's military government believes it can get away with human rights abuses because global pressure on Rangoon is weak.
He said the global words of protest against Burma must translate into action.
Archbishop Tutu said Burmese pro-democracy advocates want what he called the "maximum diplomatic and economic pressures" applied against Burma's military government.
The human rights group Burma Campaign UK welcomed Archbishop Tutu's message, saying it is time the world community provided greater support to Burma's democratic interests.