From LA Times:
China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution on Friday that would have demanded Myanmar’s military regime end political repression and human rights violations, insisting that the Southeast Asian nation’s internal matters don’t pose a threat to international peace and security.
The U.N. measure underlined the need “to minimize the risks to peace and security in the region.” Those risks, it said, include the flow of refugees fleeing the regime, trafficking in drugs and humans, and the spread of communicable diseases. It also urged the government to speed its transition to democracy and become more inclusive.
U.S. negotiators had tried to soften the draft to win Chinese and Russian support, or at least their abstentions. But Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said that the dilutions did not change his stance.
“It’s not a matter of the substance,” he said. “It’s a matter of principle, because we don’t think it is a matter for the Security Council.” [Full Text]
