Burma's decision to withdraw from the chairmanship of Asean only confirms how grave the situation is in the military-ruled state, regional legislators said on Tuesday in a call for urgent political reforms.

"Today's decision confirms the fact that the world has known for almost 20 years - that the situation in Myanmar (Burma) is extremely grave, with no semblance of democracy in the country," said a statement by the Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Democracy in Myanmar, a lobby group of regional legislators.

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations earlier announced at their annual meeting that Burma had agreed to forego its turn as the group's chairman in 2006 to concentrate on what it calls its democratization process.

The Inter-Parliamentary Caucus dismissed the process and urged Asean to push for real reforms in the country, which has been ruled by the military since 1962.

"Asean ministers have demonstrated skilful diplomacy and prudence in Vientiane. However, this should not be seen as an excuse to ignore the urgent need for political reforms in Myanmar. Myanmar will continue to afflict Asean long after this debate on chairmanship is over," the statement said.

It said Burma should fulfil its promise to Asean ministers on the "commencement of genuine political reforms, including national reconciliation with ethnic groups and the release of political prisoners" led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for nine of the past 16 years.

Burma has been pursuing what it calls a "road map to democracy", which has made little tangible process.

International pressure worked

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990 but the junta never recognized the results.

"A mere faade of political reform will not lead to stability and progress in Myanmar and will not alleviate the negative impacts felt throughout the region," the Asean legislators said.

Debbie Stothard, coordinator of the Bangkok-based Alternative Asean Network on Burma, said the announcement proves that international pressure worked.

"I am very happy that Asean has finally found its voice and its spine. This proves that pressure does work in the international arena," Stothard said, adding that Asean must now make sure that Aung San Suu Kyi is freed.

Philippine Foreign Minister Alberto Romulo agreed that Burma should free Aung San Suu Kyi to show it is really intent on democratic reforms.

Burma has "relinquished their turn and we are hoping that as they said, they will bring this to a fruitful and successful conclusion," Romulo told AFP .

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Asean had managed the issue very well by engaging in dialogue and allowing time for Burma to make its own decision.

"I think it's not a crisis. It hasn't reached a crisis stage where we are incapable of making decisions," he said.

Larger strategic picture

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana welcomed the announcement. The EU and the United States had threatened to boycott Asean meetings had Burma taken the helm.

Solana, who will travel to Vientiane later this week for talks with Asean, said Tuesday's decision "goes at least in the direction the European Union wanted."

The Asean ministers said in their statement that Burmar wants to give its "full attention" to the democratization process and can take its turn as Asean chairman when it is ready to do so.

Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo said that in dealing with the issue, Asean is mindful that Burma borders both China and India

"And Myanmar has decided from very early that it would rather be a part of Southeast Asia than be a part of South Asia and we welcome that. That is the larger strategic picture against which all these questions have been set," he said.