Brown says death toll in Myanmar may be far higher

LONDON (Reuters) - A government crackdown against protesters in Myanmar may have caused far more deaths than the handful being reported by the Myanmar authorities, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Friday.

"I am afraid we believe the loss of life is far greater than is being reported," Brown told reporters following telephone talks with U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

The prime minister called for stepped up United Nations and European Union sanctions against the military regime, saying international pressure needed to be brought to bear on the government.