Southeast Asian countries will never suspend Burma from their 10-nation bloc despite its bloody crackdown on mass protests, Malaysia's foreign minister said today after talks here with a UN envoy.

The military regime in Burma (now known as Myanmar) has come under heavy international pressure since quelling last month's peaceful rallies, but Syed Hamid Albar dismissed suggestions the Asean club could suspend its membership.

"If you want Myanmar to continue to be engaged, first we should not be talking about suspending. Nobody can talk when you are threatening with all sorts of things," the foreign minister told a press conference.

"Secondly, there is no mechanism for suspension in Asean. Asean will never take that route," he said after a meeting with United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari.

Gambari is on a regional tour trying to increase pressure on the regime to halt its crackdown on dissent, release political detainees and launch talks with the pro-democracy opposition.

Malaysia sponsored Burma to join Asean in 1997, but has recently become highly critical of the ruling generals, who snubbed Syed Hamid during a visit last year.

However, the minister said Burma's neighbours must work to prevent the impoverished nation from becoming even more internationally isolated, notably by fostering its dialogue with the United Nations.

Message from UN chief

"Asean's most important role is to give its encouragement and support, wherever we can play a role, to request (Myanmar) as a member of Asean to work together with them," he said.

"We will continue to ask Myanmar to work with the UN as I think it is the best channel for them."

The United Nations sent Gambari, a top trouble-shooter, to Burma amid international outrage over the crackdown.

Syed Hamid was upbeat about developments in Burma since Gambari's first visit earlier this month, noting that the situation remained calm and that the regime had appointed an official to maintain "relations" with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He said, however, that more needed to be done, but he stressed that change must come from within the country.

Burma indicated today it would continue to be impervious to outside pressure, as Japan cut aid and European nations widened sanctions.

Further arrests 'extremely disturbing'

Gambari said yesterday in Bangkok that reports of further arrests of activists were "extremely disturbing".

After his talks with Syed Hamid, Gambari said he would meet Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tomorrow to pass on a message from UN chief Ban Ki-moon on how Southeast Asian nations could help ease the crisis.

The Nigerian-born diplomat will fly on to Indonesia, India, China and Japan. He has said he aims to return to Burma by mid-November but hopes the junta will allow him to visit sooner.