UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Myanmar says it poses no threat to regional peace and security and therefore should be removed from the U.N. Security Council's agenda.
Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday
Security Council members have misused their mandate by placing the former Burma on the agenda.
Speaking during the annual general debate, he said "the attempts by some strong and powerful states to impose their will on developing countries" had created an environment of hostility. This was a clear reference to the United States, which called for the Southeast Asian nation to be discussed by the 15-member panel.
"The founders of the United Nations did not intend the world body to become a forum where some members with political and economic clout could gang up against a member state, and label it for what it is not," he said.
Win said Myanmar enjoyed close relations with all of its neighbors and had done nothing to undermine the peace and security of any country. Therefore it was a "glaring abuse of the mandate" to suggest that it poses a threat to the region.
He urged other member states to help Myanmar or other countries in the same situation "resist attempts by those powerful states to influence the Security Council."
The Foreign Minister also called for the expansion of the council's membership, both permanent and non-permanent, to "reflect today's political and economic realities."
Security Council reform attempts failed earlier this year because of a failure to reach agreement.
