Jim Carrey urges UN over Burma

Jim Carrey has appealed to the UN Security Council to ban the shipment of international arms to Burma.

The Bruce Almighty star urged the Council to increase pressure on the Southeast Asian nation to end its suppression of pro-democracy protesters.

Burmese security staff killed 10 people when up to 100,000 protesters marched against the country's military rulers last month.

Speaking ahead of a day of protests planned by the US Campaign for Burma, Carrey urged UN members China, Russia and India to back the ban.

"This is a government that uses its weapons not in self-defence, but against its own citizens," he said. "The time has come for the United Nations Security Council to start acting less like a group of corporations and more like united nations."

The 45-year-old is one of a number of celebrities - including Anjelica Huston, Jennifer Aniston, Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon - who have signed a letter calling on the UN Secretary General to help free detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.