Junta 'accepts higher Burma toll'

Mr Pinheiro visited Rangoon's notorious Insein prison

Burma's ruling junta has admitted 15 people died during its crackdown on protests - five more than previously stated, the UN's rights envoy says.

Speaking after a five-day visit to the country, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro called for the international community to unite to help end the crisis there.

The envoy said he would publish a full report in two weeks on September's protests and the subsequent repression.

Meanwhile, a rights group has called on Asian leaders to take action on Burma.

The country's rulers provoked a global outcry after the military crushed anti-government protests, firing on crowds and jailing thousands of people.

Mr Pinheiro, on his first trip to Burma since 2003, was charged with investigating rights abuses during the crackdown.

Speaking in Bangkok, he said he had met some political prisoners - including a 78-year-old called Win Tin, who had been in jail for 18 years.

Mr Pinheiro gave no details of the man's condition, but said he was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day.

The envoy appealed to the Burmese authorities to allow the International Committee for the Red Cross access to the prisoners.

'Entwined in vetoes'

The BBC's South East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, said the effectiveness of Mr Pinheiro's visit had been limited by the fact he had spent most of his five days talking to ministers.

Government buildings are in the remote new capital, Naypyidaw, rather than in Rangoon where the worst violence took place.

Asean's charter may not force Burma's Than Shwe to act

Meanwhile, the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), which includes Burma, has been criticised by a rights group ahead of its annual meeting next week.

Asean intends to unveil its new charter, which claims to enshrine protection of human rights.

But Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the measures are unclear and will not protect the people of Burma.

The proposed charter will codify the bloc's principles and rules for the first time in its 40-year history.

It includes the provision that citizens of member states will live in a just, democratic and harmonious environment.

In a letter to Asean leaders, HRW praised the proposed charter as a "step in the right direction".

But the campaign group said the charter "lacks any procedures to implement its principles and contains weak compliance provisions".

The letter states: "Violations of the charter's principles are simply referred to the next Asean summit for discussion, suggesting a slow deliberation process that will become entwined in politics and national vetoes."

The group called for each member state to ratify a number of international agreements, and for Asean to set up regional institutions to monitor human rights.