While no one should ever condone terrorism, the violent end to the hostage crisis in Thailand came under heavy fire by a number of Malaysians. In addition, they urged Asean to pressure the Burmese military junta for democratic reforms to ensure that such crises would not reoccur again.

"It is clear that the Thai government had decided to employ armed commandos to gun down all the guerillas without first exhausting peaceful means," said KeADILan vice president Tian Chua. He, however, stressed that he was expressing his opinions in his own personal capacity.

Thai commandos shot dead 10 hostage-takers in a pre-dawn raid on Tuesday and rescued all 800 hostages in a hospital in Ratchburi, about 120 km west of Bangkok. The hostage-takers, members of the God's Army, had on Monday morning stormed into the hospital compound taking 200 staff members and 600 patients hostage in a siege which lasted 22 hours.

The God's Army, a faction group of ethnic Karen rebels, has about 200 fighters comprising ethnic fighters, dissident Burmese students and child soldiers. The group is headed by 12-year-old Christian twins, Johnny and Luther Htoo, who claim to have mystical powers that make them immune to bullets and land mines.

Elizabeth Wong, coordinator of human rights NGO Suaram said that the non-violent solution was an option which the Thai government failed to consider.

"It would be a mistake if Thai government believe the tough action that has ended the hostage episode could resolve the Burmese political crisis," she said. She warned that the political crisis involving the Burmese ruling junta is now threatening the security of other nations.

According to Chua, Asean's regional security would not be secured until a satisfactory political settlement was reached in Burma. Burma was admitted as a member of Asean in 1997 amid protests from human rights NGOs in the region.

"It is in the interest of Thailand and Asean to step up pressure on the military junta for it to abdicate power and pave the way for a return to democracy," he added.

In 1990, the military junta refused to hand over power to the National League for Democracy led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi after it secured a landslide victory in the polls. The continuous repression such as the jailing of dissidents, banning of newspapers, closure of universities and schools, had driven many democratic activists and minority rights defenders into taking up arms against the military regime.

"Asean member nations cannot forever condone state terrorism and human rights violations by hiding behind the shield of 'national sovereignty' and 'non-intervention'," stressed Tian.

He added that the responsibility to promote democratisation and human rights in the region is not just an ethical obligation but is also the only way to ensure peace and security for all countries.

DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who is a former coordinator of Burma Solidarity Group in Malaysia, said Asean should impress upon the Burmese military regime to recognise the need for political reforms.

"The heads of government in Asean should bring up the problem faced by the Burmese at the Asean finance ministers meeting in Seri Bagawan next month. They should censure the authoritarianism of the Burmese ruling regime and review their 'constructive engagement' policy," she said.

An official in Wisma Putra told malaysiakini said that Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar could not be reached for comments since he is currently overseas. However, he said that the Foreign Ministry had no plans to issue a statement on the hostage incident.