Momentum is growing within Asean to deprive Burma of its scheduled chairmanship of the organisation next year because of its failure to introduce democratic reforms...Burma might be able to withstand pressure because of growing investments in the country from China, India, South Korea and some Asean members, including Thailand and Singapore. Chinese and South Korean companies have been awarded exploration contracts for natural gas...while Shin Corp, owned by the family of Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai prime minister, has a telecommunications venture.