UN council upbraids Myanmar for slow reforms

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council upbraided Myanmar on Thursday for slow progress on democratic reforms as the world body's special envoy said the junta there was trying to delay his next visit until April.

In a statement, the council said Myanmar's military rulers had done too little to meet demands it laid out in October for release of political prisoners and a genuine dialogue with the opposition following a crackdown on protesters.

"Council members ... regretted the slow rate of progress so far towards meeting those objectives," said the statement, read to media by council president Giadalla Ettalhi of Libya.

"Council members underscored the importance of making further progress," it said, calling for another visit soon to Myanmar by special U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who has sought to wring concessions from the government.

The statement was significant in being agreed to by all 15 council members, including three from Asia -- China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Asian countries have been reluctant to take a tough line against Myanmar, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

Gambari, who earlier took part in Security Council consultations on Myanmar, told reporters he was trying to return to Myanmar as soon as possible for his third visit since the crisis erupted but that authorities there wanted a delay.

"I had requested to go there this month," he said. "They have sent word that it's not convenient and they will prefer mid-April. Now the (U.N.) Secretary-General has said that's not acceptable, and I agree, and so we are in the process of negotiating an early rather than a later return to Myanmar."

Gambari will pay visits this month to China and India, two countries seen as crucial because of their economic clout and trade ties with Myanmar. Gambari said he wanted concrete action and not just verbal support from Myanmar's neighbors.

The U.N. envoy noted that a senior junta official had met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last Friday for the fourth time since last September's crackdown but there was still no sign of real results.

"We don't know what transpired but ... these are still processes, and it's important to translate these discussions into the inauguration of a substantive dialogue that will address the grievances of the people, which are both socio-economic as well as political," he said.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Washington believed it was necessary to increase pressure on Myanmar to get results.

That pressure should come from countries with influence on Myanmar, such as China and India, but the Security Council also should take measures, including sanctions, Khalilzad said.

Sanctions are thought to have little chance of approval in the council because of opposition from veto-wielding China. (Editing by Xavier Briand)