Australia presses Burma on reform

Aung San Suu Kyi's talks with the military have stalled

Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has ended his visit to Burma after talks with the ruling military junta.

He left the capital Rangoon after a one-day visit - the first by an Australian minister for nearly 20 years.

Mr Downer met top members of the government and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest in May.

Mr Downer's visit had the backing of the UN

But speaking in Bangkok, Mr Downer gave a downbeat summary of his meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi.

"She is not very confident that a great deal of progress is going to be made," he said.

The visit was part of a continuing effort by governments and the United Nations to engage the military government in dialogue.

Before her release from house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi had been in secretive talks with the government but there has been little apparent progress since then. Many diplomats remain sceptical about the junta's commitment to change.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to give up power.

Economic warning

Before his visit, Mr Downer told the BBC he would warn the military of the economic "consequences" of failing to make changes. The country is suffering an economic crisis compounded by years of sanctions over its refusal to reform.

Burma "needs to understand" that it will only get poorer without outside help, Mr Downer told The World Today radio programme.

Mr Downer said he was also going to Burma to provide support for Aung San Suu Kyi.

"If they had refused to allow me to see her then I wouldn't have been prepared to make the visit," Mr Downer said.

Australia has criticised Burma over human rights issues but has kept diplomatic channels open.

On Thursday Mr Downer was due to meet members of the Thai Government during a brief stop-over in Bangkok.

Mr Downer is then scheduled to travel to Indonesia and Malaysia.