Malaysian Foreign Minister and special Asean envoy Syed Hamid Albar warned regional countries against any attempt to isolate Burma.

Syed Hamid, who visited Burma late last month after a lengthy delay, said isolation would hurt the population more than the military junta which has ruled the country since 1962.

"If we act to isolate Myanmar (Burma), it will not bring any benefit because we want to see the participation of the people. If we isolate (Burma) it will have greater negative impact on the people than the military junta," he was quoted as saying by Bernama yesterday.

"We need to be cautious (when we deal with Burma)."

Syed Hamid also said isolation would deny political parties a chance to participate in the country's democratic reforms.

However he said that during his brief visit to Rangoon, he did not see any major political reforms. "I did not see any clear developments (in Burma)."

Syed Hamid made his comments ahead of next weekend's gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers on the Indonesian resort island of Bali to discuss its next plan for Burma.

Under pressure

Asean is under pressure to take action over Burma's lack of democratic progress. Singapore said last month that Asean should consider distancing itself from Burma if it refused to reform.

Burma, which joined the 10-member grouping in 1997, agreed at last year's Asean summit to invite Syed Hamid in January in the face of growing international pressure to show democratic progress and amid Western sanctions against the junta.

During his eventual visit in March, Syed Hamid met with Prime Minister Soe Win, Foreign Minister Nyan Win and several junta-related officials.

Syed Hamid left the country one day early than scheduled, without being allowed to meet democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last 16 years in jail or under house arrest.

"The Asean grouping wants to cooperate with Myanmar (Burma)," said Syed Hamid who will brief ministers in Bali on his mission to the nation.

The military has spelled out a "road map" for democracy, including talks on a new constitution, but Aung San Suu Kyi's party has boycotted the process, which critics have called a sham.

The junta again suspended constitutional talks in January after just two months of deliberation, dashing any hopes of ending the process this year and deepening international frustration over the lack of reforms.

The military crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 and two years later rejected the result of national elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.