The UN Human Rights Council on Monday announced an emergency meeting on Friday to examine the situation in Burma after the army putsch, at the request of the United Kingdom and the European Union in particular.
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This request was made "
in response to the state of emergency imposed on Burma, the arbitrary detention of democratically elected politicians and members of civil society
," said the UK ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Julian Braithwaite, Monday February 8 in the morning.
"
We must respond urgently to the ordeal the people of Burma are going through and the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation there
," he added during a Council meeting by videoconference.
The meeting will be held Friday from 9:00 a.m. GMT, according to a council statement released on Monday evening.
Tens of thousands of Burmese have taken to the streets since the coup at the start of last week to protest the military's return to power, despite numerous arrests and internet censorship.
The Ambassador said the group proposing an emergency meeting would inform other Council members about the drafting of a resolution.
A request for an emergency meeting is accepted as long as it brings together at least a third of the 47 members of the Council, which is largely the case.
The regular session of the Council will begin on February 22.