The United States imposed economic sanctions against 14 top officials in Myanmar's military junta after pro-democracy demonstrators have been violently dispersed Thursday.

According to the sanctions enacted by the US Treasury Department, the assets Senior General Than Shwe, the ruler of Myanmar, have been frozen. Shwe serves as defence minister and is the chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council.

Also, people and companies from the United States are banned from having any financial ties with the military leader and thirteen other senior officials in the junta.

Among those thirteen senior officials is the acting prime minister, Lieutenant General Thein Sein along with the commander of the army, Vice Senior General Maung Aye.

On Thursday, security forces violently cracked down on protests against the iron-fisted regime for a second day. Reports from the region said at least nine people have been killed after demonstrators clashed with government troops in Yangon.

The international community harshly criticized the military regime and President George W Bush was the first to take action against the Myanmar junta.

While speaking before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Bush urged military and police troops to refrain from following the orders of the repressive military regime.

“I urge the Burmese soldiers and police not to use force on their fellow citizens ... The world is watching the people of Burma take to the streets to demand their freedom, and the American people stand in solidarity with these brave individuals,” the White House leader said.

The clashes broke out Wednesday after more than a week of peaceful protests initiated by Buddhist monks. The people are displeased with the soaring fuel prices and low living standards, as inflation skyrocketed over the last years and Myanmar became one of the poorest countries in the world.

“Every civilized nation has a responsibility to stand up for people suffering under a brutal military regime like the one that has ruled Burma for too long,” Bush said.

The American president urged Myanmar’s neighbours to pressure the military junta to stop the violent crackdowns against the peaceful protestors.

This is not the first set of sanctions imposed by the US against Myanmar, the Washington government limiting the textile exports since 2003 after the junta crushed into submission democratic activists and imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi. She is still under house arrest, reports saying she was taken to an undisclosed location before the clashes broke out.