US Senate seals tighter sanction against Burma

The legislation is similar to a bill already passed by the House ofRepresentatives, and would ban import of gems and timber from Burma and prevent US financial firms fromdoing business with the government through intermediaries.

The two versions must still be reconciled, but there appear to be noserious problems between the two.

The legislation is similar to moves by the European Union passed lastmonth, according to  Aung Din, executive director of the US Campaignfor Burma.

"This legislation sends a powerful signal to the Burmese military regimeand the world that there can be no more business as usual for Burma,"Aung Din said.

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives  voted to bestow detainedBurma Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi with the US Congress'shighest civilian honour, the Congressional Gold Medal.

In 1990, Suu Kyi led her political party to a landslide victory in parliamentaryelections, gaining 82 percent of the seats in parliament.But the junta refused to recognize the results, and crackeddown on all political expression.

She has spent more than 12 of the past 17 years under house arrest.

//DPA