Frustrated with Asean's silence on recent developments in Burma, UN special envoy Razali Ismail has strongly criticised the regional body for its lack of political will to change the status quo.

Razali, the first outsider to visit detained pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon last week, said his efforts at pushing for political reconciliation in Burma cannot work without support by governments in the region.

"Constructive engagement is just an excuse for perpetuating the status quo. Asean should be very embarrassed at what is happening," said the envoy in an interview in Kuala Lumpur last Friday.

"Myanmar (* formerly known as Burma) is going to be the chair of Asean in 2006. How can you have a military dictator chair Asean? There are certain ethos in the region such as consultation with the people which are not observed in Myanmar."

Razali noted that Asean has continually insisted on a hands-off policy vis--vis its neighbours.

However, he said it should be made clear that long-term security in the region could only be achieved with proper consultation and participation of the people in decision-making processes.

"You can see what happened with the Arab countries. They were completely helpless to do anything about (ousted Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein. They offered nothing of their own so much so that America had to do it in the end (for them)," he said.

"I am not saying that Asean is like that but you can see the analogy (in this)."

Immediate task

Razali, a seasoned diplomat, was appointed by the UN three years ago to facilitate political dialogue between the Burmese government and opposition groups led by Suu Kyi.

However, far from achieving progress, the envoy found instead that his visits to Burma had more often been focused on securing her release from various periods of detention.

Suu Kyi is still being detained by Burma's military junta, despite Razali's expectations that she should be released from "protective custody".

His latest mission was criticised by DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang as an "unmitigated failure".

Asked to respond, Razali said, "It's true. Obviously, things have gone backwards but I have to be focused on my next task which is to get her out."

For this and the resumption of his diverted task of reigniting the political reconciliation process, he urged member countries attending the three-day Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Phnom Penh from Wednesday to decide on three key resolutions.

Asean, he said, must insist very strongly on Suu Kyi's immediate release.

"There must be no compromise. It must not be when the situation is 'normal' but right now".

Another point would be to press for a commitment by the Burmese government on her safety and that "nothing must happen to her".

Thirdly, he said Asean must insist that political dialogue begin straight away with the release of Suu Kyi.

Not invited

It is expected that the political quagmire in Burma will be a hot topic during the ARF an annual regional security dialogue between Asean leaders and their counterparts from Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the two Koreas, Mongolia, New Zealand, Russia and the US.

In a column published in the Wall Street Journal last Thursday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell labelled the junta as "thugs" for the May 30 attack on Suu Kyi in a northern town. Her convoy was caught in a clash between her supporters and their pro-government opponents.

Powell said he would "press the case" in Cambodia "despite (Asean's) traditional reticence to confront a member and neighbour of their association".

Yesterday, The Star reported that Asean would be issuing a statement on Burma at the end of the 36 th Asean Ministerial Meeting which begins today, also in Phnom Penh.

Despite the urgency of the situation, Razali said he may not be present at the forum.

"I am open to going but I don't know whether they are going to invite me. If they do, I will go there and tell them all these thingsBut I cannot easily get invited because Myanmar has to agree to it," he said.

Questioned about claims by some quarters that Asean was already involved by virtue of his citizenship as a Malaysian, Razali dismissed that as an "inane" assumption.

Target the money

While Razali welcomed support by other countries to increase pressure on the junta, he said more initiatives would have to be launched to persuade countries with extensive business and trade ties with Burma to review their policies.

He said, for instance, that recently approved US travel and import sanctions on Burma would only be partially effective as these may not affect top junta leaders.

"These 500 or so generals, they are not going to be bothered. They may not be able to travel to the US but so what? It is not just a question of money in New York but money that is placed elsewhere like Singapore," he noted.

Razali said that, if the UN Security Council were to consider imposing international sanctions, it would make the junta sit up and take notice.

"This is the one thing that the Myanmarese would really fear. It would worry them a lot," he said.

The chances of UN sanctions being approved, he said, are "very, very, very slim" by virtue of Burma being in China's backyard.

"But it is enough for there to be informal consultations. The threat (alone) could be enough," he added.

[*Note: Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989 by the military government. However, many (including malaysiakini ) have not embraced the name change as the decision was made by an illegal and illegitimate government.]