HARBIN, China - China and Russia urged Burma's military rulers to talk with the country's opposition but said Wednesday that they opposed any U.N. sanctions against the junta.
The two veto-wielding countries on the U.N. Security Council say Burma's crushing of pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks was an internal issue, a position that has prevented discussions of sanctions.
Foreign Ministers Yang Jiechi of China and Sergey Lavrov of Russia said at a meeting with India's Pranab Mukherjee that, instead of punishment, they support efforts by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to open talks between the opposition and the ruling generals.
"The initiatives [Gambari] has taken, he should be encouraged," Mukherjee told reporters. "There should not be any sanctions at this stage."
Lavrov warned that sanctions, threats or other forms of pressure on the junta risked "aggravating the situation and generating a new crisis."
Yang echoed that: "We hope that countries concerned will play a helping role instead of applying sanctions and applying pressure."
Meanwhile, activists wearing white prison garb and masks held small protests in cities around the world to mark prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's 12 years in detention in Burma.
"I'm very angry. Governments around the world knowthat people in Burma suffer and have been suffering for so long," refugee Zoya Phan, 26, said in London.
"They know the regime is brutal, but they have done almost nothing to help the people in Burma."
The meeting of China, India and Russia comes as part of the revival of a loose 1950s alliance against U.S. dominance of global affairs. A joint statement said, however, that the countries' third recent forum "was not targeted against any other country or organization."
India and China want to secure energy supplies and natural resources that Russia has in abundance. Also, India wants to promote its bid for a permanent veto-wielding seat on the Security Council. The joint statement said China and Russia "support India's aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations."
China is one of Burma's leading trading partners, and its communist government has frequent contacts with the junta and provides the military with much of its weaponry.
In Beijing, Gambari called on China to use its influence to help persuade the junta to stop its crackdown. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei told Gambari that China backs his efforts but made no new commitments.
Burmese security forces crushed the recent wave of protests by shooting and beating demonstrators Sept. 26-27. The regime said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put the toll at up to 200 and say thousandsof students, Buddhist monks and others were arrested.
Burmese state radio and television reported that a top leader of the ruling junta, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, had been appointed prime minister.
Thein Sein had been serving as acting prime minister since May, filling in for ailing Gen. Soe Win, who died Oct. 12.
The prime minister's job holds little independent power because the military controls the state through the junta, officially known as the State Peace and Development Council.
No change in policy is expected with the appointment because policy is set by the top leaders of the junta, who - despite rumors of rivalries - act in concert and with no public disagreements.
Information for this article was contributed from London by D'Arcy Doran of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 10/25/2007