Myanmar's pro-democracy party on Saturday hailed the UN Security Council's vote to put the military regime on its formal agenda and called for more global pressure on the junta.
"We welcomed the decision and thanked the UN for it," said Lwin, a spokesman for the National League for Democracy, which is led by detained opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, 61.
"We hope the international community will keep putting pressure on the military government," said Lwin, who goes by only one name.
On Friday, the UN Security Council backed a US proposal to put the issue of Myanmar's repression and human rights violations on its formal agenda, defying objections from China, Myanmar's staunchest ally and one of its major trading partners.
The move was a victory for the United States, a vocal critic of Myanmar, as it has been pressing for months for Myanmar to be put on the council's agenda.
The United States has argued that drug trafficking, the mounting numbers of refugees, human rights abuses and the growth of AIDS cases in the military-run country represents a threat to international peace and security.
Japan, which in June ganged up with Russia and China in opposing UN Security Council action against Myanmar, voted in favour of putting the issue on the council's formal agenda.
{{/usCountry}}Japan, which in June ganged up with Russia and China in opposing UN Security Council action against Myanmar, voted in favour of putting the issue on the council's formal agenda.
{{/usCountry}}Putting Myanmar on the Security Council agenda starts a process that will allow for regular formal reports by the UN secretariat to be made on developments in the country, which has been run by the military since 1962.