KUALA LUMPUR, July 25: Britain's High Commissioner to Malaysia David Moss boycotted a ceremony here to admit Burma into the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a British embassy official said today.

Bearing in mind the state of relations between Britain and Burma at the moment, it was inappropriate for him to go, Steve Bridges, acting Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia, said.

Bridges said the High Commissioner was instructed by the foreign office in London to boycott the ASEAN admission formalities for Burma, whose Government has been widely accused of human rights violations.

``If the British (High Commissioner) chooses to stay away from the reception, that was his prerogative -- but I don't think it's going to affect ASEAN-European Union (EU) relations in any way,'' ASEAN secretary-general Ajit Singh of Malaysia said.

The EU will be among the 10 official dialogue partners of ASEAN scheduled to hold two days of talks with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur on Monday and Tuesday.

Though Ajit said Burma's inclusion in ASEAN would not jeopardise EU relations with ASEAN in general, he admitted that problems might crop up in technical aspects of the ties.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.