Fri Sep 28, 8:52 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that the UN Security Council should have taken "stronger action" in response to the military crackdown on anti-government protests in Myanmar.

"Given what is going on in the streets in Rangoon (Yangon), I would have hoped that the Security Council would take a stronger action," she said here after a luncheon with her counterparts from the four other veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council.

The 15-member council met in emergency session Wednesday but failed to condemn the repression in Yangon.

Council members, however, expressed "strong support" for UN chief Ban Ki-moon's decision to end his envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Myanmar, expressed "concern" about the government crackdown and called for "restraint."

Rice also welcomed Gambari's mission, adding: "There needs to be immediately a stop to the violence against innocent people."

After her luncheon with her counterparts from Britain, China, France and Russia, she told reporters: "We are unanimous in insisting that the regime in Burma (Myanmar) receive him (Gambari) and accede to all of his requests, including to see (detained democracy icon) Aung San Suu Kyi and to talk to members of the political opposition."