Cook puts Asian summit in doubt by shunning Burmese

PLANS FOR a major European summit with Asian leaders have been thrown into disarray because Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, has refused to sit down with a minister from Burma.

The meeting in Berlin next month may have to be cancelled because of the stand on human rights taken by Britain andother European states.

Mr Cook, who has faced criticism that his "ethical" foreign policy has few teeth, is determined to take a strong line on the issue.

The Burmese military junta has been widely criticised for appalling human rights abuses, and there is a European visa ban on its senior officials and ministers.

In January, a meeting in Bangkok between European Commissioners and leaders of Asean, the South East Asian economic community, was cancelled because Burma was due to be present.

Derek Fatchett, the Foreign Office minister, is expected to reinforce Britain's strong line on the issue in a written parliamentary answer today to the Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Frome, David Heath.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that while it would accept the presence of junior Burmese officials as observers, ministers would not take part in the meeting with their counterparts from the country unless genuine concessions were made on human rights.

Because there must be unanimity on the presence of Burma for the meeting to go ahead, Britain's stand could mean its cancellation. Mr Cook is supported by other nations including Denmark and other Scandinavian countries, but France is believed to support a stronger line.

The other Asean member states, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, insist that Burma must attend.

Burma was admitted to Asean in 1997 amid claims that its human rights record would improve through links with other countries. Last month, however, more than 250 activists were jailed for between seven and 52 years for supporting Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.