The United Nations Security Council failed Wednesday to issue a statement that deplored Burma's violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month, stalling on one sentence.

The world body instead sent a draft document to member countries to make a decision on the wording of the statement, according to Reuters.

A draft copy of the statement, leaked to the media by council members from France, the United Kingdom and the United States, calls on the government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, to cease all repressive measures.

"The Security Council strongly deplores the violent repression by the Government of Myanmar of peaceful demonstrations, including the use of force against religious figures and institutions," the draft statement reads.

However, after five hours of debate, envoys couldn't decide between two sentences concerning the release of political prisoners, said Reuters.

One version said the council "takes note of the steps taken by the Myanmar government and calls on the government to release all political prisoners and remaining detainees."

The second said it "emphasizes the importance of the early release of all political prisoners and remaining detainees."

The statement also demands that the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations have full access to the country.

On Sept. 24, heavily armed Burmese troops moved in on thousands of monks, students and others who had been staging daily protests in the city of Rangoon. Other soldiers raided monasteries across the country, making sweeping arrests.

The Burmese government acknowledged 12 protesters were killed in the clampdown, but UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who toured the Asian country, said the death toll was likely much higher.

The Security Council has been debating issuing a presidential statement since last week.

All 15 Security Council members must agree to the statement before it is issued. Canada is not participating in the discussions, as it is not a member of the Security Council.

Not legally binding

A presidential statement can condemn a country, but does not have the clout of a resolution.

"This type of tool is a lot weaker than a formal resolution," said the CBC's Neil Herland, who covers the United Nations.

"Unlike a resolution, it doesn't carry any weight in international law. It's not legally binding."

The UN had tried to pass a formal resolution against Burma in January, before the latest round of violence erupted, but China, one of Burma's main economic partners, blocked the move.

The original resolution was harshly worded, calling on Burma to "cease military attacks" on civilians and end human rights violations that include "rape and other forms of sexual violence carried out by members of the armed forces."

Herland said China, which has veto power at the Security Council, is not likely to change its stance and accept a legally binding resolution, so the Security Council is opting for a presidential statement.

Call for prisoner release

Included in the statement is a call for all detained protesters and political prisoners to be released, including pro-democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for years.

On Friday, the Burmese government announced that 2,095 people arrested during demonstrations had been released, including 728 monks.

The latest protests in Burma were triggered by the government's decision in August to double the price of fuel.

Protesters gathered in the streets by the tens of thousands in September to demand more democratic freedom, the release of political activists and economic reforms in an impoverished country that has been ruled by a military junta in one form or another since 1962.