UN envoy: Myanmar faces possibility of major civil war

Anti-coup protesters run to avoid military forces during a demonstration in Yangon on Wednesday (AP)

The UN special envoy for Myanmar has warned the country faces the possibility of civil war “at an unprecedented scale” and urged the UN Security Council to consider “potentially significant action” to reverse the February 1 military coup and restore democracy.

Christine Schraner Burgener did not specify what action she considered significant, but she painted a dire picture of the military crackdown and told the council in a virtual briefing that Myanmar “is on the verge of spiralling into a failed state”.