Clinton plans historic trip to Myanmar
U.S. sees progress in Asian country
BALI, Indonesia – Detecting “flickers of progress” in the long-shunned nation of Myanmar, President Barack Obama announced today that he will send Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the repressed country next month, making her the first official in her position to visit in more than 50 years.
“We want to seize what could be an 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 during his diplomatic mission to southeast Asia.
In deepening his engagement with Myanmar, also known as Burma, the president first sought assurances from democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She spent 15 years on house arrest by the nation’s former military dictators but is now talking with the new civilian government about reforming the country.
The two spoke by phone on Thursday night while Obama was flying to Bali on Air Force One, a senior administration official said.
The administration sees Clinton’s visit as a sign of success for Obama’s policy on Myanmar, which was outlined in 2009 and focused on punishments and incentives to get the country’s former military rulers to improve dire human rights conditions. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Myanmar but made clear it was open to better relations if the situation changed.
“After years of darkness, we’ve seen flickers of progress in these last several weeks,” Obama declared.
Still, Obama said he has deep concerns about Myanmar’s human rights record, treatment of ethnic minorities and closed nature of its society. Clinton’s mission is to explore what the United States can do to support progress on political reform, individual rights and national reconciliation, the official said.