Leaders and protesters from around the world have condemned the verdict against Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's pro-democracy opposition leader.
- Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said he "strongly deplored" the decision to keep Suu Kyi under house arrest for another 18 months, and called for her immediate release.
- "Unless she and all other political prisoners in Myanmar are released and [are] allowed to participate in free and fair elections, the credibility of the political process will remain in doubt," he said.
- But members of the UN Security Council failed on Tuesday to reach an agreement on the wording of a draft statement concerning Aung San Suu Kyi's conviction and sentence.
- The European Union has vowed to bring new sanctions against Myanmar following the verdict, saying it would "respond with additional targeted measures against those responsible for the verdict".
- "In addition, the EU will further reinforce its restrictive measures targeting the regime of Burma/Myanmar, including its economic interests," the Swedish EU presidency said in a statement.
- An EU said the 27-nation bloc had launched a "written procedure" to boost sanctions, which will come into force on Friday, as long as EU capitals do not oppose the move.
- The bloc first imposed sanctions on Myanmar in 1996, banning arms exports, imposing visa restrictions on junta allies and families, limiting diplomatic contacts and freezing officials' offshore accounts.
- In 2007 it banned European firms from importing wood, minerals, gems and metals, following a government crackdown on Buddhist monks' pro-democracy protest.
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