The United States, had sought to put Myanmar, formerly Burma, on the council's agenda in May. It backed off after opposition from several council members and settled for briefings from UN officials instead.

But US Ambassador John Bolton said he now was prepared to ask for a vote to place the issue on the agenda because "we think at this point that we would have a sufficient number of supporters." No resolution is planned yet.

In a letter to Greek Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, this month's Security Council president, Bolton said conditions in Burma have a "destabilizing impact on the region" and that the country's deteriorating situation was "likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security."