The United Nation's Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet has warned that Myanmar is facing the alarming prospect of an escalating civil war.

Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet said that time is running out for other countries to step up efforts to restore democracy and prevent a broader conflict.                

Bachelet urged countries to support a political process that would engage all parties, saying the ASEAN regional bloc and influential powers should use incentives and disincentives "to reverse the military coup and desperate spiral of violence.