Burma is being criticized for hurting regional interests, ahead of a meeting this week of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN in Bali.
East Timor Foreign Minister and Nobel Laureate Ramos Horta said Tuesday that failure to reach a consensus on Burma within ASEAN is detrimental to the interest of the Burmese people.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who recently visited Burma on a mission for ASEAN, says the organization feels Burma is dragging it down because of its reluctance to reform.
In an interview on a Singapore radio station, ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong said international attention on Burma is having an impact on ASEAN's overall credibility and image.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
