EU says ready to toughen sanctions on Myanmar

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday that the European Union should consider toughening sanctions on Myanmar over its treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who faces trial on charges that could lock her up for five years.

"It's not the moment to lower sanctions, it's the moment in any case to increase them," he said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "I don't think there will be any lowering of sanctions, on the contrary," he added.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said EU member states were ready to discuss the sanctions, noting that the they had renewed the sanctions on the military government in April.

"We are ready to discuss the reinforcement of the sanctions. We will see what will be the level of discussion and the willingness of member states too. We are ready to move forward," he said.

The military regime has ignored international outrage at what critics call trumped-up charges against Suu Kyi, accused of breaking the conditions of her house arrest, which had been due to expire on May 27 after six years of detention.