The UN Security Council "
strongly condemned the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children
" in Burma, in a unanimous statement Thursday, largely watered down by China during a difficult negotiation that lasted two days.
Read also: Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court, the UN fears "a civil war"
Deeply concerned "
by the rapid deterioration of the situation"
, the members of the Council, who had held a closed meeting Wednesday of more than two hours after the deadly violence of the weekend, also denounce "
firmly the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators
”, indicates their declaration initiated by the United Kingdom.
In previous versions of the text, obtained by AFP, the West had put a mention affirming that the Security Council was
"ready to consider new steps"
, that is to say a vague allusion to the possibility of international sanctions against the soldiers who have took power.
According to diplomats, China, opposed to any sanctions, has however repeatedly blocked an approval of the text because, among other things, of this reference which no longer appears in the adopted text.
The latter confines itself to stipulating that the Council "
will remain actively seized of the file
".
Read also: Burma: Beijing calls for a return to a "democratic transition"
Beijing also imposed at the end of negotiations to change a reference to “
the murder of hundreds of civilians
” by a reference to “
the deaths of hundreds of civilians
”.
Russia, according to the same diplomats, has also blocked the text several times because this country wanted a statement condemning the death of members of the security forces in demonstrations, which it did not explicitly obtain.
Getting to speak with "
one voice
" in the Security Council is "
a very important signal"
for the Burmese military, wants to believe an ambassador on condition of anonymity, by implicitly acknowledging that several concessions had to be made in Beijing.
Since the February 1 coup, the Security Council has shown its unity through statements on three occasions, including that of Thursday.
Beijing, Burma's first supporter and which has never recognized the existence of a military coup, has however each time reduced the scope of the negotiated texts.
Moreover, the Council's positions have had little effect on the military so far.
On Wednesday, the UN envoy for Burma, Christine Schraner Burgener, had yet asked the Security Council for strong action, warning of an "
unprecedented
" risk
of "
civil war
" and a "
bath of imminent blood ”
.