The UN's special envoy for Myanmar is to embark on an Asian tour to step up diplomatic efforts to tackle the crisis, as the death toll from the junta's crackdown on dissent passed 600 on Friday.

The push by Christine Schraner Burgener comes amid mounting international concern at events in Myanmar, rocked by daily protests since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1.

Burgener will start her trip in Thailand and will also visit China, though exact details and timings for her trip have not been confirmed.

At least 614 civilians have been killed in the military's crackdown on protests and nearly 3,000 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.

There was more bloodshed early on Friday, with rescue workers reporting at least four people killed when security forces broke up protest barricades in the city of Bago, 65 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of Yangon.

UN rights officials say the military is making increasing use of heavy weaponry including rocket-propelled and fragmentation grenades, heavy machine guns and snipers.

The violent response has drawn intense international criticism and on Thursday Washington imposed another set of sanctions, this time on Myanmar's state gem company, as it seeks to deprive the junta of sources of income.

- Call for unity -

UN envoy Burgener wants face-to-face meetings with the generals but she has not received permission to visit Myanmar.

"She, of course, stands ready to resume dialogue with the military to contribute to a return to Myanmar's democratic path, peace and stability," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

As well as China -- a key player with historical links to the military and which more recently cultivated close relations with Suu Kyi -- Burgener also hopes to visit member countries of regional bloc ASEAN.

"As she has highlighted repeatedly, a robust international response to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar requires a unified regional effort involving neighbouring countries who can leverage influence towards stability," Dujarric said.

An ASEAN summit on Myanmar is scheduled for the end of the month, but diplomats say the bloc is deeply divided over the crisis.

"At one end, there are Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, who are in the mode of 'back off, there's nothing to see, it's a question of internal politics,'" one diplomat said, while Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are open to a more active role for ASEAN.

The UN Security Council is set to meet informally Friday to hear from Myanmar lawmaker Zin Mar Aung on behalf of the CRPH group, which represents the deposed civilian government.

Earlier this week the CRPH, which says it has amassed nearly 300,000 pieces of evidence showing rights abuses by the junta, began talks with the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar.

The military has defended seizing power, pointing to what it said was fraud in November's election which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won comfortably.

- Journalists arrested -

When it took over, the military imposed a one-year state of emergency, but spokesman Zaw Min Tun told CNN this may be extended by up to a year, though he insisted elections would then be held.

The junta has steadily choked off communications, throttling mobile data and imposing nightly internet shutdowns, while raiding newsrooms and arresting journalists.

Local news outlet Mizzima reported Thursday that its co-founder Thin Thin Aung and another former employee were detained.

"Mizzima is concerned for the danger to their lives and calls for their immediate release," it said on its Facebook page.

Mizzima had its broadcasting licence revoked last month, and its journalists have been working underground ever since.

Since February 1, nearly 60 media workers have been detained or charged while covering the coup, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Britain slams 'bullying' Myanmar over London embassy standoff
London (AFP) April 8, 2021 - Britain on Thursday condemned "bullying" by the Myanmar junta after the country's ambassador to London was ousted in an extraordinary diplomatic coup having called for the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Diplomats loyal to the Myanmar military authorities seized control of the embassy on Wednesday, leaving ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn locked out in the street.

The ambassador said the defence attache had taken over the mission in "a kind of coup", two months after the military seized power in Myanmar, and urged the international community to help his country.

"Please assist our country and help our country as without international assistance we will not be able to get out of this mess," he told reporters outside the embassy.

Daily protests demanding a return of democracy have rocked the country and brought a brutal response from the armed forces, with almost 600 civilians killed according to a local monitoring group.

Vowing to deprive the military junta of a key moneymaker, the United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on Myanmar's state gem company, Myanmar Gems Enterprise.

The US is committed to "denying the Burmese military sources of funding, including from key state-owned enterprises throughout Burma," said Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, using Myanmar's former name.

The department said it would block all assets and ban any transactions with the company.

The coup has prompted several high-profile diplomatic defections, including the country's ambassador to the United Nations.

The junta recalled Kyaw Zwar Minn last month after he issued a statement urging them to release Suu Kyi and deposed civilian President Win Myint.

- No choice but to accept -

British foreign minister Dominic Raab tweeted his support for the ambassador, who spent the night in his car outside the embassy.

"We condemn the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London yesterday, and I pay tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his courage," Raab wrote.

"The UK continues to call for an end to the coup and the appalling violence, and a swift restoration of democracy."

UK sources said the Myanmar authorities had given official notice of Kyaw Zwar Minn's termination as ambassador, and in line with diplomatic policy the government had no choice but to accept it.

The defence attache has installed deputy ambassador Chit Win as charge d'affaires.

Myanmar's military spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed the country's foreign affairs ministry had been in touch with their UK counterparts in London over the incident.

"We have sent an official appointment letter already for Chit Win as the chief of mission there. They have accepted," he told AFP, adding the ambassador was required to return home.

- Heartthrob actor held -

Myanmar's security forces have struggled to quell protests and a civil disobedience movement aimed at overturning the February 1 military coup.

They have used rubber bullets and live rounds to break up rallies and used night raids to arrest suspected dissidents.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says at least 598 civilians have been killed and nearly 2,900 detained.

There were at least six further deaths on Thursday after residents in Taze in the northwestern Sagaing region tried to block the army from reaching the town.

"Our people used (homemade) guns and attacked them. But they used real bullets and shot us," one witness told AFP.

"Six people were killed from our town," the witness said, adding that five others were wounded.

Local media said 11 people were killed.

As part of its efforts to suppress the movement, the junta has issued a wanted notice for about 140 celebrities accused of fanning the protests by lending their support.

On Thursday, the military arrested leading actor, model and heartthrob Paing Takhon in a dawn raid at his mother's home in Yangon.

The 24-year-old -- a star in both Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand -- has been active in the protest movement both in person at rallies and through his massive social media following.

In February, he posted pictures of himself in a white tracksuit with a megaphone, hard hat and a white fluffy dog strapped to his chest at a protest.

- 'Destroy the country' -

International powers have voiced anger and dismay at the junta's brutal approach, but the UN Security Council has stopped short of considering sanctions, with both China and Russia against the move.

The military has defended seizing power, pointing to allegations of voting fraud in the November election which Suu Kyi's party won comfortably, and says it is responding proportionately to the demonstrations.

Junta chief General Min Aung Hlaing accused the protesters of wanting to "destroy the country" and said only 248 protesters had been killed, along with 16 police officers.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

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Britain slams 'bullying' Myanmar over London embassy standoff
London (AFP) April 8, 2021
Britain on Thursday condemned "bullying" by the Myanmar junta after the country's ambassador to London was ousted in an extraordinary diplomatic coup after calling for the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Diplomats loyal to the Myanmar military authorities seized control of the embassy on Wednesday, leaving ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn locked out in the street. The ambassador said the defence attache had taken over the mission in "a kind of coup", two months after the military seized po ... read more