<p> The UN Human Rights Council said it will hold a relatively rare special session this Friday to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar.</p>.<p>The move was officially requested on Monday by Britain and the European Union, with enough backing from countries to automatically trigger the meeting.</p>.<p>The call came a week after Myanmar's generals conducted a coup in the country.</p>.<p>"The Human Rights Council will hold a special session to address the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar this Friday," the UN's top rights body said in a statement.</p>.<p>Myanmar's military last week detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of other members of her National League for Democracy party, ending a decade of civilian rule and triggering international condemnation.</p>.<p>Julian Braithwaite, Britain's ambassador in Geneva, told a council organisational meeting on Monday that London and Brussels were submitting the special session request.</p>.<p>Braithwaite said the call was "in response to the state of emergency imposed in Myanmar, the arbitrary detention of democratically-elected politicians and civil society by the military," which he said had "grave implications for human rights in the country".</p>.<p>"We must respond urgently to the plight of the people of Myanmar and the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation there," he said.</p>.<p>The support of one-third of the 47 council members -- so 16 or more -- is required for a special session to be convened.</p>.<p>It has the backing of 19 so far, including Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, plus EU nations including France, Germany and Italy.</p>.<p>It also has the support of a further 28 observer states, including the United States, which only announced Monday it would "re-engage" with the council nearly three years after the administration of former president Donald Trump decided to withdraw.</p>.<p>It will be the 29th special session of the council.</p>.<p>Braithwaite said backers of the special session call would inform other council members soon about the drafting of a resolution on the issue.</p>.<p>The council will convene an organisational meeting on Thursday, where more specific details on the session will be announced.</p>
<p> The UN Human Rights Council said it will hold a relatively rare special session this Friday to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar.</p>.<p>The move was officially requested on Monday by Britain and the European Union, with enough backing from countries to automatically trigger the meeting.</p>.<p>The call came a week after Myanmar's generals conducted a coup in the country.</p>.<p>"The Human Rights Council will hold a special session to address the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar this Friday," the UN's top rights body said in a statement.</p>.<p>Myanmar's military last week detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of other members of her National League for Democracy party, ending a decade of civilian rule and triggering international condemnation.</p>.<p>Julian Braithwaite, Britain's ambassador in Geneva, told a council organisational meeting on Monday that London and Brussels were submitting the special session request.</p>.<p>Braithwaite said the call was "in response to the state of emergency imposed in Myanmar, the arbitrary detention of democratically-elected politicians and civil society by the military," which he said had "grave implications for human rights in the country".</p>.<p>"We must respond urgently to the plight of the people of Myanmar and the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation there," he said.</p>.<p>The support of one-third of the 47 council members -- so 16 or more -- is required for a special session to be convened.</p>.<p>It has the backing of 19 so far, including Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, plus EU nations including France, Germany and Italy.</p>.<p>It also has the support of a further 28 observer states, including the United States, which only announced Monday it would "re-engage" with the council nearly three years after the administration of former president Donald Trump decided to withdraw.</p>.<p>It will be the 29th special session of the council.</p>.<p>Braithwaite said backers of the special session call would inform other council members soon about the drafting of a resolution on the issue.</p>.<p>The council will convene an organisational meeting on Thursday, where more specific details on the session will be announced.</p>