Burma told the United Nations today that no action was warranted over the military junta's crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
Its UN Ambassador Kyaw Tint Swe urged the Security Council to take no action that would harm its ability to use its "good offices" to defuse the situation in Burma.
He said Burma would co-operate fully with the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who reported to the Security Council today on his return from a four-day visit to Burma and is due to return to in November.
Mr Tint Swe said Burma had recently faced a situation that amounted to a "daunting challenge" but that it had now returned to "normalcy."
He said many of those detained had now been released. "To date ... a total of 2,095 people, including 722 monks, have been released [and] more releases will follow," he said.
However, yesterday the military were continuing to round up and interrogate hundreds of people as it continued investigating last week's protests.
And Buddhist monks continued to be targeted after protesters rallied around them during the protests.
One freed monk said today that some of his brothers had been beaten when they refused to answer questions. There were reports that thousands of monks had been rounded up and sent to prisons in the north of the country.
Official media say 10 people were killed during the protests on the streets of the former capital Rangoon but human rights organisations believe the figure to be closer to 200.
A major protest demanding UN action against the oppressive military regime in Burma will be held in Dublin and Belfast tomorrow, coinciding with similar demonstrations throughout the globe.
Hundreds are expected to take to O'Connell Bridge for the second Irish solidarity protest in a week, supported by Burma Action Ireland.
"This day of action is to show that this crisis has not gone away," said Aung San Phyo, a Burmese-born Irish citizen who fled the country following the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in 1988.
"Our friends, families and spiritual leaders are in jail cells today, at risk of torture. The UN Security Council must act now and they must keep focused on this crisis until change comes to Burma. The international community must not desert us now," she said.
The day of action will begin at noon in countries across the world, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, India, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the US. Campaigners will wear red headbands in solidarity with the monks under arrest.
Agencies