I refer to the Malaysiakini report No regrets in supporting Burma to join Asean .

I cannot help but be appalled at the ignorance and insensitivity of the Malaysian government when it comes to the humanitarian - and political - crisis surrounding Burma. Malaysia has displayed an extreme lack of awareness to the reality of the situation in a country which has been ruled by various brutal military dictators for the past 46 years.

In displaying no regrets when supporting a military regime that has no qualms about allowing its citizens to needlessly suffer the after-effects of a natural disaster, Malaysia has proven that it does not care for the welfare of the people in Burma - 'a close neighbour'.

Burma is what it is today - no different, if not worse than 10 years ago when it joined Asean - because of government representatives like our Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri.

I challenge him to take his words to the families of the thousands of dead Burmese in Rangoon and other cyclone-devastated parts of the country. I challenge him to go to each of the 2.5 million survivors of the storm - who are, with every passing minute, at risk of death from disease and starvation - and relate his ignorant statement that Burma has 'developed little by little after it joined Asean'.

What development is he talking about? Millions of internally displaced people? The lack of infrastructure and will of the Myanmar junta to adequately warn its people of an impending deadly cyclone?

Or the lack of capacity and will to administer aid and relief efforts to save the victims of the disaster? Or Is he referring to the Burmese constitution that mocks the Asean Charter - in terms of deliberately entrenching the power of authoritarian military generals? Has he even read the proposed - and soon to be adopted - Burmese constitution?

How can the Asean Charter be ratified in the context of such a biased constitution? Or is he talking about development in terms of the military regime killing in cold blood Buddhist monks - as opposed to previously just targeting ordinary citizens, political activists and human rights defenders?

Every minute that passes as the Malaysian government - and Asean member states - protect the junta, a child dies of malnutrition, hunger and disease. This is not only the result of the cyclone but also because of the incompetence and sheer inhumanity of the Burmese military.

Perhaps the only real 'development' that Burma and Malaysia has seen over the past 10 years is from the petrol and natural gas industry in Burma - which Malaysia's Petronas is a key part of. Certainly the deputy minister cannot be referring to the increase in direct personal revenue for the military regime - and Malaysia's investors - when he talks about development in Burma? Or is he?

Enough is enough, Malaysia. Enough is enough, Asean. It's been 20 days since the cyclone hit Burma and thousands have died and thousands more are about to. Do you really want to go down in history as a region that sat by watched idly while praising what some construe as 'crimes against humanity' meaning the junta's indifference to saving lives?

If you do, then at least be honest about it and junk your attempts to promote a caring and sharing Asean community that 'aspires to protect its people'. Protecting the financial interests of your government(s) and cronies sounds more like the real deal.

I am ashamed for you, if you are not human enough to be ashamed of yourself.

The writer is executive director, Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC).