Myanmar police kill protester ahead of U.N. meeting

Police in Myanmar on Friday again opened fire on protesters against the military coup, killing at least one person, and ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting on the crisis.

The violence took place as the military lost a fight over leadership of its U.N. mission in New York and the United States announced new sanctions targeting military conglomerates.

The man killed was in the city of Mandalay, witnesses and a doctor told Reuters by telephone.

In the city of Yangon, police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters who had been joined by about 100 doctors in white coats, witnesses said.

Hundreds of protesters in the south-eastern city of Dawei also faced tear gas fired by police as they marched in protest against last month's military coup.

In all, at least 55 people have been killed since the coup on February 1.

The U.N. human rights investigator on Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, has urged the Security Council - which meets later on Friday - to impose a global arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions on the junta.

Indian security forces also stepped up patrols on the border with Myanmar on Friday to stop refugees entering after some Myanmar police officers crossed over, fearing retribution for refusing to participate in the crackdowns.