Thu Sep 27, 4:24 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS - Southeast Asian nations issued a rare rebuke to Myanmar Thursday, demanding the military junta immediately stop using violence against pro-democracy protestors after nine people were killed.

As security forces swept through Myanmar's main city Thursday arresting hundreds in a brutal crackdown on the 10th straight day of protests, world outrage mounted with the US slapping sanctions on 14 junta leaders.

UN leaders were told by Myanmar officials that UN chief Ban Ki-moon's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, would be granted a visa to visit the country.

"The secretary general has been informed that his special envoy will be welcome in Myanmar," spokeswoman Marie Okabe said. "He is pleased."

But ministers from the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has long had a policy of non-interference in the affairs of Myanmar, had unusually sharp words for its fellow member at a meeting at the United Nations.

"They were appalled to receive reports of automatic weapons being used and demanded that the Myanmar government immediately desist from the use of violence against demonstrators," Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said.

The ministers "expressed their revulsion to Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win over reports that the demonstrations in Myanmar are being suppressed by violent force and that there has been a number of fatalities," he said.

They strongly urged Myanmar to exercise restraint and seek a political solution and wanted the ruling junta to resume national reconciliation with all parties and work towards a peaceful transition to democracy.

The unfolding drama on the streets of Yangon has dominated the agenda of the UN General Assembly here, and prompted calls from around the world for the junta to lay down its arms.

At least 50,000 people, many of them youths and students, swarmed into Yangon Thursday undeterred by the deaths the day before of at least four protesters, including three Buddhist monks, and repeatedly defied orders to disperse.

In six hours of chaotic protests, Myanmar state media said nine people were killed on Thursday, including a Japanese journalist, and another 11 protesters injured.

US President George W. Bush said the world must press Myanmar's military rulers to end the violent crackdown and urged the junta to cooperate fully with UN envoy Gambari.

"I call on all nations that have influence with the regime to join us in supporting the aspirations of the Burmese people and to tell the Burmese junta to cease using force on its own people, who are peacefully expressing their desire for change," he said in a statement.

Bush told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi he hoped Beijing in particular would use its influence with the military regime to help bring a peaceful transition to democracy.

China on Thursday issued its first public call for Myanmar's military rulers to show "restraint" in handling anti-government protests but did not condemn the ongoing crackdown.

The US administration has also ordered a freeze on the assets of Myanmar's military leader and 13 other senior officials.

Beleaguered Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win had skipped the ASEAN meeting at the last minute, instead sending his representative Thaung Tun, a senior government official, an ASEAN diplomat told AFP.

Yeo also said ASEAN ministers urged the junta to grant Gambari "full access" to all parties in Myanmar, including Nobel peace laureate and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last 17 years under house arrest.

ASEAN also warned Myanmar that the bloody crisis was having "a serious impact on the reputation and credibility of ASEAN."

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said meanwhile the ASEAN stand was a victory for the thousands of demonstrators.

"This is a success for democracy and this is a success for the demonstrators in Myanmar," he told reporters in New York.

Japan, a top donor to Myanmar, had summoned the military regime's ambassador in Tokyo on Thursday to protest against the crackdown while South Korea urged the junta to refrain from suppressing the protesters.

The ASEAN ministers later held talks in New York with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who described ASEAN's comments as "a very good statement."

"I can just assure you that the US is determined to keep an international focus on the travesty in Rangoon (Yangon)," she added.