Cook condemns Burmese junta's drug ties

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook yesterday slammed the Burmese military regime's 'apparent willingness to abet and profit from the drugs trade', telling a Kuala Lumpur audience that it deserved the 'strongest condemnation'.

On his first visit to Southeast Asia since the Labour Government took office, Mr Cook urged Burma's allies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to press the junta to recognise the damage it did to the future of the country and the region by 'conniving with the drugs barons'.

Addressing the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, he proposed co-operative action against drugs as part of a six-point plan for partnership with countries in the region, which also included the 'promotion of personal freedom' based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

'Every country is a member of the international community and it is therefore reasonable to require every government to abide by the rules of membership,' he said. 'They are set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.' But with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, leading a campaign to review the declaration and the Malaysian Government advocating only 'constructive engagement' with Burma, Mr Cook's hosts showed little enthusiasm for his proposals.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Abdullah Badawi, nodded with approval when Mr Cook referred to British and Malaysian troops serving together in the peace-keeping force in Bosnia, but kept his eyes on the table as the British Foreign Secretary called for a stronger stand towards Rangoon over drugs.

After a meeting with Mr Cook where the same questions were discussed, Mr Badawi was politely demurring.

'Other countries, too, have their own problems in human rights,' he said. 'It is very difficult to have one common yardstick that is universally applicable.' At a press conference, Mr Cook acknowledged there were differences over Burma.