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| Southeast Asia |
| McConnell praises Myanmar reforms, calls for more |
| 2012-01-17 |
| YANGON: A US senator who is a leading supporter of Myanmar’s democracy movement said Monday he is impressed with the new government’s reforms but more needs to be done. Republican leader Mitch McConnell met more than an hour with Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and will meet President Thein Sein on Tuesday. McConnell is the latest prominent Westerner to visit Myanmar and encourage Thein Sein’s initiative. The top American and British diplomats visited earlier, and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe is in the country now. More of McConnell’s Senate colleagues plan visits later. As part of new US engagement, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the US will restore full diplomatic relations with Myanmar after last week’s release of hundreds of political prisoners. Thein Sein’s elected, nominally civilian government has made limited democratic reforms since it took office last March and it wants Western political and economic sanctions lifted. Every year since 2003, McConnell has introduced legislation sanctioning Myanmar and would be a prominent voice should the US contemplate easing those restrictions. The Senate must also approve the appointment of an ambassador. McConnell told reporters he was delighted to meet Suu Kyi in person, and that the recent dramatic changes were exciting. “There is, however, as everyone knows, much left to be done,” he said. “I think the improved relations with the various ethnic minorities are the most important thing we want to focus on at this point.” He called the recently announced cease-fire with the Karen an important step. “we’d like to see that kind of progress made with other ethnic groups,” McConnell said. He said the US also looked forward to free and fair by-elections on April 1. He said such steps would clearly merit US consideration of lifting sanctions. The myriad US sanctions heavily restrict trade, investment and foreign aid to Myanmar. The restrictions also block financial transfers, especially by military-backed leaders and their cronies, and deny visas to the same VIPs. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Romancing Burma and Bangladesh to secure the Bay of Bengal as a Naval gateway to Indonesia/SEA as a preventative for when the Arabian Sea goes Arab?? Maybe revisiting the South China Sea containment strategy with a squeeze from India/Australia/New Zealand? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2012-01-17 08:49 |