With First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by his side, Mr Bush on Friday issued orders intended to secure the release of political prisoners in Myanmar and force the junta to open negotiations with the opposition.

'The people of Burma are showing great courage in the face of immense repression. They are appealing for our help. We must not turn a deaf ear to their cries,' he said, referring to Myanmar by its old name.

He ordered the Treasury Department to freeze the US assets of 11 senior junta members. Senior General Than Shwe and the No. 2 man in the military regime, Deputy Senior General Maung Aye, already face similar sanctions under measures announced last month.

President Bush also issued an executive order expanding the sanctions to those who assist the blacklisted officials, starting with 12 individuals and entities.

Three companies either based or linked to Singapore - Pavo Trading, Air Bagan Holdings and Htoo Wood Products - were among those blacklisted, reported Agence France-Presse.

Mr Bush ordered tighter export restrictions, such as on the selling of sophisticated computers to Myanmar. He also urged China and India to do more, while praising Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia for 'speaking out against atrocities'.

He said: 'We will continue to review our policies and consider additional measures if Burma's leaders do not end the brutal repression... Business as usual is unacceptable.'

Assistant Professor Bridget Welsh at the South-east Asia Studies Programme at Johns Hopkins University in Washington said Mr Bush's 'nuanced' announcement was significant.

'These are targeted sanctions against specific individuals who are key decision-makers in the junta or are linked to human rights abuses. And this approach works better than sweeping restrictions. It brought North Korea to the negotiating table,' she said.

She added that this second set of sanctions in a month illustrates 'that the administration is taking a strong stance, reflecting the public opinion in the US'.

Meanwhile, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo yesterday stressed the need for genuine reconciliation.

Speaking to reporters after visiting a Burmese temple off Ah Hood Road, he said: 'The key is to have a genuine dialogue in Myanmar among all parties - the Government, the NLD (National League for Democracy) and Aung San Suu Kyi - so that national reconciliation can be achieved.'

bhagya@sph.com.sg