Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar today said he hopes that military-ruled Burma will reveal next week whether or not it will take up the Asean chairmanship next year.

Syed Hamid said Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers will raise the vexed topic during their talks in the Lao capital Vientiane, but Burma was already well aware of their views.

"So I think, or at least I hope, that there will be something one way or another (in Laos)," he told reporters.

"We don't want to tell them that they must get out, or that they must miss their turn, but they know what they need to do and the action must be done by them," he said.

Parliamentarians from some Asean member nations are concerned that Burma will damage the group's image and international links if it becomes chairman at the end of 2006 under an alphabetical rotation system.

With Burma at the helm, taking over from Malaysia which assumes the role at the end of this year, the United States and European Union would probably boycott key meetings with the grouping.

In what has been seen as an attempt to pressure Asean on the issue, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said she will not attend the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Laos, sending her deputy Robert Zoellick instead.

Diplomatic response

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda also said he is confident of a decision on the issue in Laos next week.

"This is an internal organisational matter and therefore we will decide ourselves," he told reporters in Jakarta.

"We have already discussed this, so that in the meeting in Laos next week we are certain that we can settle this matter."

Wirayuda said that if Burma goes ahead and takes the chair, Indonesia would make a "diplomatic response." He did not elaborate.

Leaders from the 10-nation grouping have said that Burma cannot be blocked from assuming the chair, but it is under intense pressure to do so voluntarily to avoid embarrassing its neighbours.

Syed Hamid said there was a hope that Burma would act out of "a sense of responsibility to Asean as a fellow Asean country."

"They are aware of our views. When you are a member of an organisation or a club you have to adhere to some of the values," he said.

"We have given the views not only of Asean, but we have also talked about the feelings and views of other regions and other countries... So I think they understand very well."

Holding the Asean chair means Burma would set the group's agenda and direction as well as host a series of meetings, including a summit and the ARF high-level security forum involving the United States and the European Union.

Asean groups Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Philippines would take over as chair if Burma gives up its turn.