The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved by voice vote a bill that would halt Myanmar's rubies and jades from entering the United States as part of sanctions against the country's military government.

The bill also freezes the assets of Myanmar's political and military leaders and prevent them or their immediate families from using the US financial institutions via third countries, the House said.

The Senate is also considering similar legislation. After both floors of Congress approve an agreed version of the bill, President George W. Bush will sign it into law.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Tuesday that Myanmar has responded to the world's calls for an improved human rights record "with empty gestures aimed only at gaining time for it to reinforce the status quo."

The United States, which has long imposed a trade and investment ban on Myanmar, has twice tightened sanctions since conflicts between the country's military government and protestors in September, during which eight protestors were reportedly shot dead and 42 others injured in Yangon.

Bush signed an executive order on Sept. 27 to tighten sanctions, freezing assets of 14 Myanmar's military government officials under US jurisdiction and forbidding US citizens or groups to make financial transactions with them.

The Bush administration released another round of sanctions on Oct. 19 on Myanmar, including tighter restrictions on the export of dual-use goods and computers to Myanmar, visa bans and asset freezes on 11 of Myanmar's leaders.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2007)