PARIS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday asked the European Union to tighten sanctions on Myanmar, denouncing the sentencing of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was "brutal and unjust," the president's office said in a statement.

    "The president is asking the European Union to respond quickly by adopting new sanctions against the Burmese regime, which must in particular target the resources that they directly profit from,in the wood and ruby sector," said the statement.

    "The Burmese authorities have shown with this iniquitous ruling their decision to ignore pressing messages from the international community," Sarkozy said in the statement, adding Suu Kyi was a political victim.

    French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the new sanctions should be imposed on Myanmar for "sparing the civilian population, which we should continue to protest and assist."

    Suu Kyi was sentenced to 18-month house arrest on Tuesday.