UN hard on Burma

The United Nations Commission of Human Rights has formally passed a resolution on Burma welcoming some progress, but expressing grave concern over a number of violations.

The report's findings had been released about a week ago and came up at the Commission's meeting in Geneva.

The resolution welcomed contacts between Burma's military rulers and the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

But it criticised Burma for what it called systematic persecution against the League, as well as gross human rights violations including executions, mass arrests and forced labour.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service