Fri Oct 5, 11:07 AM ET

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari warned Myanmar on Friday of potential serious international repercussions from the political crisis there and urged the ruling junta to release all political prisoners.

Gambari was reporting to the U.N. Security Council on a four-day visit he made to Myanmar sparked by concern over suppression of pro-democracy protests.

He said the international community was concerned about "continuing and disturbing reports of abuses being committed by security and non-uniformed elements, particularly at night during curfew, including raids on private homes, beatings, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances."

Gambari also said there were unconfirmed reports that the number of casualties was "much higher" than the dozen people reported killed by authorities.

He said the Myanmar government must recognize that what happened there "can have serious international repercussions." He said it was time for the Myanmar government to make "bold choices" and he urged it to meet as soon as possible with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Security Council dispatched Gambari to Myanmar in hopes of ending a crackdown involving soldiers shooting into crowds and mass arrests that have sparked international outrage.

China, which has a veto in the Security Council, has said the situation in Myanmar is an internal affair and it opposes action by the Security Council.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Myanmar authorities' use of force on peaceful protesters was "abhorrent and unacceptable."

Addressing the Security Council just before Gambari's report, Ban called for "bold actions" by the military government toward democratization and respect for human rights.