Malaysia's foreign minister says Southeast Asian leaders will not be prevented from discussing Burma at their summit next week, but that the topic will not be on the formal agenda.
Syed Hamid Albar said Thursday the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - ASEAN summit is not a meeting on Burma. He said it is about creating what he called a "cohesive, united" group. Malaysia is hosting next week's meeting.
Southeast Asian leaders have come under increased pressure from the United States and Europe to take a tougher stance on Burma.
This past week, a group of Southeast Asian lawmakers called on ASEAN to expel Burma unless it frees political prisoners within a year.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
