Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush will announce new sanctions on Myanmar's military regime and urge tougher action by the United Nations as protesters there stage the biggest pro-democracy demonstrations in almost 20 years.

In an address tomorrow before the United Nations General Assembly that will focus on global humanitarian concerns, Bush will outline restrictions on visas and financial transactions for ``key members of the regime and those that provide financial support to them,'' National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said as the president traveled to New York.

Bush will call for the United Nations and governments around the world ``to do all they can to support a process of political change in Burma,'' Hadley said.

The U.S., which already limits investment in Myanmar and restricts financial transactions, has joined other governments in calling on Myanmar's government to show restraint in dealing with the protests, which are being led by Buddhist monks and attracting as many as 100,000 anti-government demonstrators.

The U.K., Germany and France earlier today backed opposition protests led by Buddhist monks that are attracting as many as 100,000 anti-government demonstrators. The European Union called for ``real political reform'' there.

Taking Action

``Nothing like this has been seen for two decades or more,'' Mark Canning, U.K. ambassador to Myanmar, said in a telephone interview from Yangon. ``Translating this into positive political change will be difficult.''

Two of Myanmar's southeast Asian neighbors also urged the regime to show restraint, with Singapore saying it hoped protests will be settled without violence, and the Philippines urging the development of democracy.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement saying he is ``committed to continue'' promoting the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been under international sanctions since 1990 when the army rejected the results of elections won by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Demonstrations have intensified since the doubling of some fuel prices last month.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday in New York described the Myanmar military junta's abuse of civil rights as brutal.

``The Burmese people deserve better. They deserve a life to be able to live in freedom,'' Rice said at a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. China is one of Myanmar's closest allies.

Discontent

France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that ``The junta will be held responsible by the international community for the safety of the protesters.'' The size of the protests ``underline the discontent of the Burmese people.''

The EU called on Myanmar's leaders to ``exercise utmost restraint in handling demonstrations,'' said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. ``We hope that the regime will use this opportunity to launch a process of real political reform.''

Suu Kyi, 61, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, has spent 11 years in detention since the 1990 elections and was last placed under arrest at her home in 2003.

Myanmar's government, which has been run by the army since 1962, has ignored previous demands by the U.S. and the UN to free more than 1,000 political prisoners and return the country of 47 million people to democracy.

To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols aboard Air Force One at echen32@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 24, 2007 15:37 EDT