Washington: The United States has asked China to increase pressure on Myanmar after the military junta executed four democracy activists which drew condemnation from the United Nations.

Addressing a press briefing on Monday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said no country has the potential to influence the trajectory of Burma's next steps more so than China.

"And we've called on all countries to act responsibly to use their influence in a way that is constructive for the interests of the Burmese people, and that ultimately puts Burma back on the path to democracy," he said.

Price said the Myanmar regime has not faced the level of economic and in some cases diplomatic pressure that we would like to see. "We are calling on countries around the world to do more. We will be doing more as well," he said

Given the escalating violence and human rights abuses in the country, the State Department spokesperson that the junta has carried out, there can be no business as usual with this regime.

"We urge all countries to ban the sale of military equipment to Burma to refrain from lending the regime any degree of international credibility, and we call on ASEAN to maintain its important precedent only allowing Burmese non-political representation at regional events," he added.

Myanmar's military junta Monday reported the execution of four men in the country's first death sentences carried out in over three decades.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the men put to death were Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41; Kyaw Min Yu, known as "Ko Jimmy," 53; Hla Myo Aung; and Aung Thura Zaw, all of whom were convicted after closed trials that fell far short of international standards.

Earlier, a military tribunal sentenced Ko Jimmy and Phyo Zeya Thaw to death on January 21 under Myanmar's overbroad Counterterrorism Law of 2014, the group said. Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw were convicted in April 2021 for allegedly killing a military informant.

"The Myanmar junta's execution of four men was an act of utter cruelty," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These executions, including of activist Ko Jimmy and opposition lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, followed grossly unjust and politically motivated military trials. This horrific news was compounded by the junta's failure to notify the men's families, who learned about the executions through the junta's media reports."

The volatile situation in Myanmar following the February 1, 2021 coup has increased armed conflict and subsequent population displacement within and across borders, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The security situation continues to deteriorate in Southeast Myanmar with the intensification of armed clashes reported between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or People's Defence Force (PDF) in several areas. The Military continues to deploy security forces and has increased the use of heavy artillery.