WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - First lady Laura Bush called U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday to press concerns about a crackdown on political dissidents by military rulers in Myanmar.

"During her call with Secretary-General Ban, Mrs. Bush asked him to join the United States in condemning the junta's brutal crackdown," according to a statement from the first lady's press secretary, Sally McDonough.

McDonough said Mrs. Bush urged that the U.N. Security Council take action "to prevent further violence and repression in Burma" before next month's meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

The military junta in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has arrested participants in a rare string of protests, and raided homes of known activists and their friends.

The opposition National League for Democracy has said that more than 100 people have been detained in one of the harshest crackdowns since a mass uprising in 1988 led by students and Buddhist monks.

Laura Bush's call to Ban comes a day after U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the actions of Myanmar's military junta. White House officials said the subject of human rights in Myanmar is one Bush will raise when he attends the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Sydney next week.

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