The failure of a special Asean envoy to meet Burma's democratic opposition shows the junta is unwilling to make any commitments to reform, despite growing regional pressure, analysts said today.

But the visit also highlighted the need for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to change its approach to its most problematic member or risk further damaging its credibility.

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar waited months to be allowed to visit the military-ruled country, only to cut short his mission yesterday in frustration at being blocked from meeting with the democratic opposition.

"It's not positive at all," said Lim Kit Siang, a member of the Asean Inter-parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC).

Syed Hamid held talks with Prime Minister Soe Win during his mission to check on the country's reform efforts amid global criticism of the junta's rights abuses.

But he did not meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi or any members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

"If the special Asean envoy which was dispatched by the Asean leaders in the summit could not meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, then it makes the whole visit completely hollow and meaningless," Lim told AFP .

Burma, which joined the regional grouping in 1997, agreed at last year's Asean summit to invite Syed Hamid in January.

But the visit apparently stalled over the envoy's insistence on meeting Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last 16 years in jail or under house arrest.

"If the military junta continues to seal off contact with her, it only reflects that the junta is not prepared as yet to be more forthcoming and to be a more responsible regional player."

The AIPMC in September called on Asean to suspend Myanmar from the 10-nation grouping if there was no progress made on democracy reforms in the country within a year.

Lim urged Asean foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia next month to strongly consider the lawmakers' call for suspension.

"In view of this latest development the Asean governments and leaders and concerned organisations should take a hard look at this prospect," he said.

"The Asean foreign ministers should make it clear that ... the obstructive position of the junta is completely unacceptable."

Losing clout

One analyst told AFP that Burma's refusal to engage its neighbours was causing the 10-member Asean to lose clout with other regional groupings such as the European Union.

"They have to show that they are not a toothless tiger," said Thailand-based researcher Toe Zaw Latt.

"Of course they are frustrated" by the junta's lack of reforms, "but at the same time they don't know how to approach Burma," he said.

While Asean has a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, the bloc has become more vocal in line with censure from the United States, European Union and United Nations.

But Toe Zaw Latt described Syed Hamid's visit as merely paying "lip service" to demands that the junta reform, saying Asean's policies were still too soft.

"It's clear that this approach is getting nowhere. Now is the time Asean has to come out with clear standards for Burma because it is hurting the integrity of the grouping," he said.

Rangoon-based analysts said, though, they were not at all surprised by the junta's evasive reception given to Syed Hamid.

"They never acknowledged he was a representative of Asean," one said, adding that the visit was never expected to gain any concessions from the junta.

"We know our government very well ... they feel as long India and China are on their side, there no need to worry about the EU and the US," the analyst said.