Washington ? The Bush administration and lawmakers from both parties are pushing for the U.N. Security Council to condemn Myanmar’s recent crackdown on activists.

But with China and Russia likely to block a U.N. resolution against a country with which they both have strong economic ties, and India clamoring for access to Myanmar’s vast energy resources, U.S. options to force change appear limited.

Priscilla Clapp, who was chief U.S. diplomat in Myanmar – also called Burma – from 1999 to 2002, said U.S. and European pressure is important. But, she said, “when you hear the president and others talking about that, it’s because they’ve got nothing else they can do; it’s just such a conundrum what you do about Burma.”

The ruling military junta in Myanmar has detained scores of activists and used gangs of hired thugs to snuff out protests that began Aug. 19 over higher fuel and consumer goods prices.

In response, President Bush urged the government to “heed the international calls to release these activists immediately and stop its intimidation of those Burmese citizens who are promoting democracy and human rights.”

Michael Green, Bush’s former senior adviser on Asia, said U.S. rhetoric condemning the regime shows Myanmar’s “democracy movement that major powers like the United States stand with them. That has meaning. But in terms of affecting the behavior of the regime, I don’t think that will happen until the big parties around them start working together.”