Clinton to visit Myanmar

[ellisonz]

Source: LA Times

Clinton to visit Myanmar
Citing the nation's recent reforms, President Obama announces the first such U.S. diplomatic overture in half a century. The country also gets the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN.

By Peter Nicholas and Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times
November 17, 2011, 10:49 p.m.

Reporting from Bali, Indonesia, and New Delhi—
President Obama announced Friday that he is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Myanmar next month, citing progress made by the government in releasing political prisoners, loosening media restrictions and opening its repressive political system.

Obama, in a brief statement during a series of summit meetings in Bali, Indonesia, said Clinton will be the first secretary of State to visit the country in half a century and will make the case that Myanmar's leaders must keep moving toward a more open, democratic government.

While flying on Air Force One from Australia to Bali on Thursday night, Obama said he spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader who was held in detention by the government for much of the last 20 years. It was their first conversation, Obama said, and she told him that she wanted to see American "engagement" in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"We want to seize what could be a historic opportunity for progress and make it clear that, if Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America," Obama said.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-myanmar-asean-20111118,0,4190963.story

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Aung San Suu Kyi approves :-)

[xchrom]

1. ms. kyi sounds very much like she is going to stand for parliment

and group is going to become an official political party.

all of which is Awesome.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Also read as

the US needs to support Chevron's support for their military junta.

[ellisonz]

3. You could - but...

well if it stops them from massacring their own people in the streets...isn't that a good thing?

[dipsydoodle]

4. Yes

but that don't change the fact that as usual the US may be acting in its own self interest.

[ellisonz]

5. Kick for diplomacy.