Australia joins criticism of Burma

Australia has added its voice to mounting criticism of Burma.

It says the ruling junta is so "insensitive" to world opinion that no form of pressure has any effect on its dismal human rights record.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he had expressed his frustrations directly in a meeting with his Burmese counterpart Nyan Win on the sidelines of a regional security summit in Manila.

"It seems to me that nothing has worked," Downer told reporters at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in the Philippine capital.

"There have been sanctions, there has been so-called constructive engagement, there have been human rights dialogues, there have been visits, there have been representations, there have been threats," Downer said.

"But nothing moves the leadership of Burma."

Fierce objections from Burma helped water down language in ASEAN's draft charter to create a regional human rights commission, and the country has repeatedly snubbed calls to make good on pledges to move toward democracy.

Burma has also ignored international pressure to free democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last decade and a half in detention.

"What amazes me about Burma is that ... the leadership seems completely insensitive to and impervious to the views of outside world. And I don't mean Western countries, I mean ASEAN countries," Downer said.

"I think they should listen to what the broader community of countries in southeast Asia has to say."

Downer said he hoped China, India and other countries would exert more pressure on Burma to help ASEAN push for reforms in the reclusive state, which has been run by the military for more than 40 years.

He said he was very direct in expressing his frustrations to his Burmese counterpart.

"I just said to him ... this is the 12th one of these ASEAN meetings I've been to.

"Every single meeting I've met with the foreign minister of Burma ... every single meeting I have said when is there going to be constitutional reform, when are you going to release Aung San Suu Kyi and allow her to be free, when are you going to allow the people of Burma to have a say in the future direction of their country and I always get the same answer.

"I said to the foreign minister I suppose this time next year if I'm back again, you'll be just giving me the same answer - constitutional reform is still underway, it's been underway for more than a decade, but its still underway, and Aung San Suu Kyi will still be under house arrest."

He said Burmese leaders must recognise that "there's not much of a future for their country if they continue to operate in the way they are operating at the moment".