Laura Bush presses UN over Burma

US First Lady Laura Bush has urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon to condemn Burma's crackdown on pro-democracy protestors. In a rare political intervention, she also called on the UN Security Council to act to prevent further violence.

Her direct intervention shows growing frustration in the White House with the UN's muted response to problem.

President George W Bush has already called for the release of all political prisoners and urged the Burmese government to "stop its intimidation".

The White House issued a statement confirming that Laura Bush had telephoned the UN secretary general to express her deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Burma.

In what can only be seen as a sharp rebuke to Mr Ban, Mrs Bush added that by staying quiet the United Nations, as well as other countries, condoned the abuses.

Mrs Bush has taken a particular interest in Burma's political future, meeting dissidents and convening a discussion at a UN General Assembly on the country's future.

She is calling on UN member states to support the Burmese people in their struggle for freedom.

In all the world , only our own wonderful First Lady has the courage and conviction to bring this up so forthrightly . I love this woman , we are so lucky to have her . And may the world listen to what she is saying and DO SOMETHING about Burma ! The terrible situation there should have been corrected long ago.

Civilian thugs doing Myanmar junta's dirty work - BANGKOK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Rather than stir up memories of their bloody 1988 crackdown by putting troops on the streets, Myanmar's junta is relying on gangs of paid thugs and criminals armed with brooms and spades to crush a rare outbreak of dissent.

Accurately predicting public anger at this month's shock fuel price rises, the rulers of the former Burma released hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of prisoners to clear the decks for mass arrests, diplomats and exiled dissidents said on Tuesday.

Happily for the generals, those booted out of Yangon's fetid cells also made perfect recruits for the shadowy Swan Aah Shin, or "capable strong person", organisation which has emerged as the junta's main weapon against protesters.

"It's an underground organisation and I don't know who would admit to it existing, but it exists and it exists in force, and it has been evident over the last week," said one diplomat who watched the Swan Aah Shin in action on the streets of Yangon.

A Reuters reporter at the scene of what was probably a Swan Aah Shin gang detaining 30 members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) last week was ordered not to take photographs and then chased away.

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