A 47-member Human Rights Council called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained,” and “the restoration of the elected government.”

Traditional allies of the Myanmar military, China and Russia, meanwhile disassociated themselves from the consensus, as did Venezuela, Bolivia and the Philippines.

During a relatively rare special session of the council Friday, most UN officials and diplomats voiced alarm at the February 1 coup and the brutal response to some of the massive protests rocking the country.

The session, urgently requested earlier this week by Britain and the European Union, came as a torrent of anger and defiance sparked a seventh straight day of nationwide rallies demanding the country’s generals relinquish power.

“The world is watching,” the UN’s deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif stressed at the start of the session.

🗨️“To this Council, we recommend the strongest possible call for the military authorities to respect the election results, return power to civilian control and immediately release all individuals arbitrarily detained”

– UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif https://t.co/3gp4rijPtY

— UN Human Rights Council 📍 #HRC51 (@UN_HRC) February 12, 2021