British Prime Minister Gordon Brown criticised Sunday the repression of demonstrations in Myanmar and called for the immediate release of all those who have been arrested.

“I deeply deplore the Burmese government’s violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations,” Brown said in a statement.

In the last two weeks, there has been a rare string of demonstrations in Myanmar over soaring fuel costs which have been spearheaded by pro-democracy activists.

The price hike has left many workers unable to even afford bus fare in the impoverished nation formerly known as Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962.

Amnesty International said Friday that more than 150 people have been detained since the protests broke out on August 19.

“I call upon the Burmese authorities to release immediately all those detained merely for protesting at the hardship imposed on them by the government’s economic mismanagement and failure to uphold fundamental human rights,” Brown added.

He also reiterated the British government’s call for the release of all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

Brown added that he supported calls for the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to consider the issue.

“It is time for the UN human rights bodies to give this alarming situation the attention it deserves,” he said.

Brown said that he was asking Foreign Secretary David Miliband to raise the issue at the meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers next Friday and Saturday in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.