Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today called for stronger regional efforts to force Burma to release pro-democracy leader Aung Saan Suu Kyi.

Anwar, speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore, suggested that some neighbours were more interested in doing business with Burma's military regime than promoting freedom.

"There's more construction than constructive engagement," he said, referring to contracts awarded to Asian investors in Burma.

Anwar lamented what he called "the utter abdication of responsibility in the region" to use more direct methods to convince Burma's military regime to free the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

He urged fellow members of Asian parliaments to help Aung San Suu Kyi, who is on trial in Rangoon for allegedly breaching the terms of her house arrest.

"We hope that there will be a stronger voice demanding for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi," Anwar said.

The ruling junta has said the democracy icon breached the terms of her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside house earlier this month.

She faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has voiced "grave concern" over her treatment but critics said Asean should do more than just issue statements.

Burma today strongly rejected the regional criticism of its trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, saying it was in violation of ASEAN's bedrock principle of non-interference in members' domestic affairs.

Burma's military regime has kept Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for 13 of the past 19 years.

As well as Burma and Thailand, Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

-AFP