Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday that the UN Security Council should not put Burma on its agenda. Syed Hamid said while democratic reforms in Burma was of interest to the international community it was not a threat to security.

"Therefore Myanmar should not be on the agenda of the UN Security Council," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian news agency Bernama in an interview.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International last month urged the council to put Burma on its agenda to pressure the country's military junta to reform. The United States is also preparing to push for a council resolution on Burma.

Syed Hamid warned that Burma may face more pressure from the international community if it promises to reform are not carried out, especially with the resignation of UN envoy for Burma Razali Ismail last month.

He quit after being denied entry to the country for nearly two years.

"If it is seen that there is no cooperation coming from Myanmar, it will invite pressure from all parties to place Myanmar on the Security Council agenda," he said.

Asked if he would meet with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during an anticipated visit to the country, Syed Hamid said Burma should "open its doors as wide as possible so that I will be able to make a realistic assessment of the country."

Impatience signalled

Under pressure from the international community, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at its annual meeting in December signalled its impatience with fellow member Burma.

It reached agreement with Rangoon to allow Syed Hamid to visit the country as an Asean envoy to check on the progress of democracy.

The visit was expected to occur in January but Burma said it was too busy moving its capital to receive him. No new date has been firmed yet.

Syed Hamid said he hoped Rangoon was serious about the invitation because it would signal to the international community its commitment to reforms.

Burma's junta brutally crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 and two years later rejected the result of national elections won by the party of Aung San Suu Kyi.

In November it extended her house arrest by another six months. The Nobel Peace prizewinner has already spent more than 10 of the last 16 years under house arrest.