WASHINGTON - THE US Congress on Tuesday sent legislation to President George W. Bush seeking to block import of gems from Myanmar, in a move to deprive its ruling junta of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

The Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act, passed by the Senate Tuesday and by the House of Representatives last week, will keep the gems, including jade and rubies, from entering US markets via third-party countries.

Despite a longstanding ban on all Myanmar imports, gems from the impoverished country have entered the United States via third nations such as Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, rights groups have said.

The gems trade is one of the most lucrative sources of profit for the military rulers, accused of blatant human rights abuses and stifling democratic opposition.

'By focusing the sanctions on the (military rulers), this bill sends a clear message to the junta that the United States stands squarely with the freedom-loving people of Burma,' Mr McConnell said, using Myanmar's former name.

The bill also makes the generals and their families ineligible for visas to the United States and enhances existing financial sanctions against the regime.

They include new reporting requirements which will provide greater transparency about the junta in terms of their financial holdings, information about countries that provide military aid to the regime and background on Myanmar's timber trade, Mr McConnell said.

'We cannot allow this regime to prosper financially while they continue to violate the human rights of their own people,' said Mr Howard Berman, Democratic chairman of the House foreign affairs committee.

'This bill hits the Burmese leaders where it hurts - in the wallet. It's our hope that these sanctions will push other countries to examine their own financial dealings with Burma,' Berman said.

The Jewelers of America, representing more than 11,000 jewelry stores nationwide, supports the ban on gem imports, and major retailers such as Tiffany's and Bulgari have voluntarily implemented a ban.

The European Union and Canada have similarly banned the import of Myanmar gems.

'The 'blood' color of rubies not only brings (Senior General) Than Shwe's military regime 300 million dollars (S$407.32 million) per year, it signifies all the blood lost by innocent civilians in our struggle for human rights,' said Aung Din, a former political prisoner and co-founder of the US Campaign for Burma.

'We want to thank the United States Congress for taking strong and meaningful action.'

An earlier version of the legislation was introduced last fall by human rights advocate Tom Lantos, a senior lawmaker who died of cancer in February, in response to the junta's deadly crackdown of peaceful protests.

But Congress began to consider it in the aftermath of a cyclone that ravaged the country earlier this year, when the junta blocked entry to many foreign aid workers and relief shipments, relenting only after a personal visit by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The disaster left at least 138,000 missing or dead.

The new legislation also urged US energy giant Chevron to consider divesting from a lucrative gas project if the junta did not embrace reforms.

Lawmakers had dropped a plan to impose sanctions that would have pressured Chevron to pull out from the Yadana gas project after the company argued that other firms from nations such as China and India could easily take over its stake if divested. -- AFP