U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed frustration on Thursday at slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar, where planned elections have been derided in the West as a sham.

Ban spoke after discussing Myanmar with a group of key countries, but diplomats said any Security Council action was blocked by objections from China and Russia to what they see as interference in the Asian country’s internal affairs.

Thursday’s meeting and a Security Council discussion of Myanmar on Wednesday came after the ruling junta this month published rules for the elections, for which no date is set.

One of the rules says parties registering for the elections must exclude members serving prison terms. That would include opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi — under house detention for breaching security laws — and many senior members of her National League for Democracy.

“It’s frustrating and … disappointing that we have not seen much progress” toward democracy, said Ban, who has called for the release of all Myanmar’s 2,000 political prisoners.

He said Myanmar had been slow to implement commitments made to him by General Than Shwe during the U.N. chief’s visit last year. Ban cited the lateness in publishing the electoral laws and also complained of the failure to set a date or free prisoners of conscience.

Critics say the election will be a sham aimed at creating a facade of civilian rule with the junta still calling the shots. The military has ruled the former British colony for almost five decades.

DIVISIONS BETWEEN POWERS

Ban said that at Thursday’s meeting the so-called “Group of Friends” on Myanmar stressed that elections should be inclusive and transparent to advance democracy in Myanmar.

The group comprises Australia, Britain, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, Vietnam and the European Union.

But diplomats said divisions between major powers precluded any action. One envoy said Russia and China insisted on their usual stance of not interfering in the internal affairs.

China has long been unwilling to take punitive action against neighboring Myanmar, whose coastline provides it with easy access to lucrative Asian markets.

The differences were also apparent after Wednesday’s closed-door Security Council discussion of Myanmar.

“A general election being held in any country is a matter of a sovereign state, so that should be respected,” China’s Ambassador Li Baodong told reporters.

But British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant did not agree. “The instability that could be caused by a flawed electoral process is a threat to international peace and security,” he said.

(Editing by Doina Chiacu)