They done new history for Burma within 55 year

ကိုေရြမန္းရဲ ့ ကတိေတြ အပိုင္း၁ shwemann1 by Htay Tint အပိုင္း၂ shwemann2 by Htay Tint အပိုင္း၃ shwemann Dec 2011 by Htay Tint News & Articles on Burma Thursday, 01 December 2011 ----------------------------------------- Clinton and Suu Kyi meet in Burma Burma could see lifting of sanctions for political reform Hillary Clinton meets Burma president for historic talks Clinton to meet Suu Kyi on historic Myanmar visit Clinton offers small incentives for Burma's reforms Clinton challenges Myanmar to expand its reforms U.S. Will Relax Curbs on Aid to Myanmar Clinton Articulates U.S. Support for Myanmar Reform Clinton challenges Burma on reforms Clinton pledges improved Burma ties if reforms continue Is There a Flicker of Progress for Freedom of Information in Burma? A democratic Burma? ------------------------------------------ Clinton and Suu Kyi meet in Burma Aung San Suu Kyi 01/12/2011 - 13:49:17 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met Burmese opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on a historic visit to the country. The two women had a private dinner at the home of the top-ranking US diplomat in Burma before a more formal meeting at Ms Suu Kyi's residence on Friday. It is the first time the pair -- two of the world's most recognised female political figures -- have met in person, though they have spoken by phone. Mrs Clinton has often referred to Ms Suu Kyi as a personal inspiration. Mrs Clinton is in Burma to test the its new civilian government on its commitment to reforms that have prompted Ms Suu Kyi to participate in forthcoming elections. Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/clinton-and-suu-kyi-meet-in-burma-530536.html#ixzz1fIBZFpLU Clinton meets Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma December 1, 2011 - 9:49PM www.cigna.co.th/1care2 AP US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is meeting with Burmese opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on a historic visit to Burma. The two women were having a private dinner at the home of the top-ranking US diplomat in Burma on Thursday before a more formal meeting at Suu Kyi's residence on Friday. It is the first time the pair - two of the world's most recognised female political figures - have met in person, though they have spoken by telephone. Clinton has often referred to Suu Kyi as a personal inspiration. Clinton is in Burma to test the long isolated and repressive country's new civilian government on its commitment to reforms that have prompted Suu Kyi to participate in upcoming election.s Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-world/clinton-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-in-burma-20111202-1o9kc.html#ixzz1fIF6AMNk ------------------------------------------- Burma could see lifting of sanctions for political reform ANDREW QUINN NAYPYITAW, BURMA - Dec 01 2011 15:09 0 Comments and 0 Reactions ARTICLE TOOLS Print Add to Clippings US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered Burma the first rewards for reform on Thursday, saying the US would back more aid for the reclusive country and consider returning an ambassador after an absence of some two decades. Clinton said she had "candid, productive" conversations with President Thein Sein and other Burmese ministers, and told them Washington stood ready to support further reforms and possibly lift sanctions, as the country seeks to emerge from decades of authoritarian military rule. But she also urged Burma to take further steps to release political prisoners and end ethnic conflicts and said better US ties would be impossible unless Burma halts its illicit dealings with North Korea, which has repeatedly set alarm bells ringing across Asia with its renegade nuclear programme. "The president told me he hopes to build on these steps and I assured him that these reforms have our support," Clinton told a news conference after her talks in Burma's remote capital, Naypyitaw. "I also made clear that, while the measures already taken may be unprecedented and welcomed, they are just the beginning." 'Beginning steps' Clinton's landmark visit to the country marks a tentative rapprochement after more than 50 years of estrangement from the West. She will travel on Thursday to the commercial capital of Yangon where she will hold the first of two meetings with veteran pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Following meetings with Thein Sein and other officials in Naypyitaw, Clinton unveiled several incremental steps to improve ties and said the US would consider returning an ambassador to the country. The US downgraded its representation in Burma to a charge d'affaires in response to the military's brutal 1988 crackdown on pro-democracy protests and voiding of 1990 elections widely judged to have been won by Suu Kyi's party. http://mg.co.za/article/2011-12-01-burma-could-see-lifting-of-sanctions-for-political-reform/ ---------------------------------------- THE GUARDIAN Hillary Clinton meets Burma president for historic talks US secretary of state has 'candid, productive' talks ahead of private dinner with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi The US secretary of state meets Burma's new leaders on a historic visit Link to this video The US secretary of state has had her first substantive talks with Burma's new leaders, in a meeting Washington hopes will embolden reformers in the country where entrenched military interests loom large. Hillary Clinton, whose landmark visit on Thursday marks a tentative rapprochement after more than 50 years of estrangement with the west, held meetings with the president, Thein Sein, the foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, and officials from parliament in Naypyitaw, the country's new capital. She said she had "candid, productive" conversations and offered some rewards for reform, saying the US would back more aid and consider returning an ambassador. But she also urged Burma to take further steps to release political prisoners and end ethnic conflicts, and said better US ties would be impossible unless Burma halts its dealings with North Korea. "The president told me he hopes to build on these steps, and I assured him that these reforms have our support," Clinton said after the talks. "I also made clear that, while the measures already taken may be unprecedented and welcomed, they are just the beginning." Clinton will later head to the main city of Rangoon for a private dinner with Aung San Suu Kyi, her first face-to-face meeting with the veteran pro-democracy leader. Aung San Suu Kyi told reporters on Wednesday she fully backed Washington's effort to gauge reforms that Burma had enacted since the military nominally gave up power to civilian leaders after elections last year. "I think we have to be prepared to take risks. Nothing is guaranteed," she told reporters in a rare public video call from her home, where she was held in detention for 15 of the past 21 years before being released in November last year. But Aung San Suu Kyi said the US must remain watchful that the new army-backed civilian government did not halt or roll back political and economic reforms that have gained pace in recent months. "If there are again arrests of those who are engaging in politics, then I think you would need to speak out loud and clear," she told the US-based reporters. Aung San Suu Kyi confirmed she would run in forthcoming byelections. Her National League for Democracy swept elections in 1990 but the military ignored the result. The party boycotted last year's polls but will contest upcoming byelections -- another sign of the rapid change unfolding -- and hopes to open offices across the country and start a newspaper, she said. Clinton's visit was reported on page two of the main state-run New Light of Mynamar newspaper on Thursday, with a photograph of her arrival and two paragraphs on who accompanied her and met her at the airport. On its front page, the newspaper published a profile of the prime minister of Belarus, who will also be visiting in the coming days. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/01/hillary-clinton-burma-president-talks?newsfeed=true ---------------------------------------- Clinton to meet Suu Kyi on historic Myanmar visit By the CNN Wire Staff December 1, 2011 -- Updated 1053 GMT (1853 HKT) Yangon, Myanmar (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to dine Thursday with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning face of Myanmar's democracy movement. The meeting at the U.S. Chief of Mission residence in Yangon -- the first time the two women will meet face-to-face -- will be a highlight of Clinton's historic visit to Myanmar. Earlier Thursday, Clinton met the country's new president Thein Sein, and pushed him to release all political prisoners, continue democratic reforms, and cut military ties with North Korea, a senior State Department official on the trip told journalists traveling with Clinton. "While the measures already taken may be unprecedented and certainly welcome, they are just a beginning," she said of Myanmar's reforms. She said it was "encouraging that political prisoners have been released," but said more than 1,000 others "are still not free." "No person in any country should be detained for exercising universal freedoms of expression assembly and conscience," she told reporters after meeting Sien. Their meeting was "workman-like" and lasted a few hours, said the official, who spoke on condition of not being named. Clinton held out the possibility that the United States would send an ambassador to Myanmar if reforms continue. And she said the United States would support World Bank and International Monetary Fund trips to assess how they can help the southeast Asian nation. On Friday, Clinton will tour Suu Kyi's home, where the activist spent most of the last two decades under house arrest. She will also meet members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, representatives of ethnic groups, and civil society organizations on Friday, the State Department said before the trip began. Clinton's trip, the first in 50 years for an American secretary of state, was made possible by the reclusive nation's unexpected steps at democratic reform. Ruled by a junta since 1962, Myanmar elected its new president Sein in March. The new government freed dozens of political prisoners in October. And on Wednesday, Suu Kyi -- who was released from her latest round of house arrest in November last year -- said she intends to run for parliament. The developments prompted cautious optimism for the United States, which still refers to the country as Burma -- the name it used before the junta took power. The trip, the White House said, is an indication the time could be right to forge a new relationship between the nations. Still, Myanmar is far from a democracy -- and skepticism exists on both sides. Journalists in the country enjoy some new freedoms, but the press is still heavily regulated. Ethnic violence still exists against Myanmar's minorities, and human rights groups estimate that more than 1,500 political prisoners are still detained. Suspected cooperation between the government and North Korea on ballistic missiles and nuclear activity is also troubling to the United States. As a result, the Obama administration is not ending sanctions and is not making any abrupt changes in policy. For its part, Myanmar offered a cordial welcome to Clinton -- but the visit itself was low-key. On Thursday, news of her trip and a photo of her greeted by officials at the Naypyidaw airport was buried in page 2 of the state-run newspaper, The Mirror. In contrast, the front page carried a prominently placed photograph of Mikhail Myasnikovich, the prime minister of Belarus -- who arrives Thursday. CNN's Paula Hancocks, Elise Labott, Peter Shadbolt and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/01/world/asia/myanmar-clinton-visit/?hpt=hp_t2 ------------------------------------------ THE WASHINGTON POST Clinton offers small incentives for Burma's reforms View Photo Gallery --- Burmese President Thein Sein, right, and his wife, Khin Khin Win, left, talk with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton between meetings at the President's Office in Naypyidaw, Burma, on Thursday. By William Wan, Thursday, December 1, 4:56 PM NAYPYIDAW, Burma --- The highest-ranking U.S. official to set foot in Burma's presidential palace, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday brought a message of praise to Burma's president for his nascent gestures of reform even as she warned him that significantly more progress was needed for change to take root. The table may be set for "a new chapter in our shared history," Clinton said at a news conference shortly after the meeting, adding that "while the measures already taken may be unprecedented and welcomed, they are just a beginning." Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has arrived in Burma on a historic visit to the long-isolated Southeast Asian nation to test the new government's commitment to reform, including severing military and nuclear ties with North Korea. (Nov. 30) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has arrived in Burma on a historic visit to the long-isolated Southeast Asian nation to test the new government's commitment to reform, including severing military and nuclear ties with North Korea. (Nov. 30) Burma has implemented reforms in recent months and shown signs of opening up. Here's a collection of photographs from Burma from the past two decades. For weeks leading up to Clinton's visit, the Obama administration had emphasized cautious optimism in dealing with authoritarian and reclusive leaders of Burma --- a country with a long history of repression and strife that has seen promises of progress dissipate before, and in some case, devolve into brutal and lethal crackdowns. Seeking to allay such doubts, Burma's President Thein Sein spent much of their meeting giving a detailed 45-minute presentation to Clinton about further change, according to U.S. officials. His plan for reforming areas of his government long criticized by the U.S. and others included: the gradual release of political prisoners, a cease-fire in the war between Burma's military and ethnic minorities, political reform, media freedom and adopting international agreements on nuclear programs to allay suspicions about Burma-North Korea weapons trades. Clinton said she responded by telling him that the United States will "match action with action" --- greater aid, economic rewards and diplomatic prestige in return for bolder reforms. Thein Sein and others in his government have pushed repeatedly for Washington to lift economic sanctions against Burma --- viewed as the ultimate prize for their overtures to the West. In their meeting Thursday, Clinton offered the Burmese significantly smaller incentives in hopes of nudging them forward without giving up too much too fast. She discussed U.S. support for loosening restrictions on health and microfinancing programs by the United Nations and offered U.S. support for exploring other international aid. The most direct result of the meeting, however, could be a restoration of U.S. diplomatic relations and an upgrade of Burma's mission into a full embassy with a U.S. ambassador --- something Clinton said she discussed with the Burmese officials. The historic exchanges on Thursday suggest Burma, also known as Myanmar, could become the long desired example of success for the Obama administration's approach to oppressive regimes. His early pledge --- to reach out to those despotic governments who "unclench their first" --- has largely gone unanswered for two years. Iran has become increasingly isolated with Western powers now pulling out diplomats fearing for their safety. North Korea has remained as defiant as ever --- launching provocative attacks last year on South Korea, perhaps the closest U.S. ally in Asia. And Syria remains embroiled in its brutal repression of a revolution. From that bleak global picture, Burma's political and economic reform emerged suddenly and unexpectedly, U.S. officials said. "It was good policy by the Obama administration, but they also, to a degree, got lucky," said Ernie Bower, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. While much has been made of Burma's recent overtures to the West as an attempt to guard itself from an increasingly powerful and assertive China, the change is also believed to be result of internal politics among its secretive leaders --- power dynamics U.S. officials readily admit they still do not understand --- and fear that the country is falling far behind its neighbors because of its isolation and international sanctions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/clinton-offers-small-incentives-for-burmas-reforms/2011/12/01/gIQARm7vFO_story.html ------------------------------------------- December 1, 2011 3:51 AM Clinton challenges Myanmar to expand its reforms (AP) NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar --- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday challenged the leaders of Myanmar to continue and expand reforms. She offered the isolated country a small package of rewards for steps it has already taken but made clear that more must be done, including breaking military ties with North Korea. She said the U.S. was ready to further improve relations with the civilian government in the Southeast Asian nation --- also known as Burma --- but only if it stays on the path of democratization. In a series of modest first steps, she announced that Washington would allow Myanmar's participation in a U.S.-backed grouping of Mekong River countries; no longer block enhanced cooperation between the country and the International Monetary Fund; and support intensified U.N. health, microfinance and counternarcotics programs. On a historic visit, Clinton offered the country future incentives, including the prospect of upgraded diplomatic ties, in return for steps that include releasing political prisoners and ending ethnic violence with aggressive efforts at national reconciliation. "I came to assess whether the time is right for a new chapter in our shared history," Clinton told reporters after meeting Myanmar President Thein Sein and other senior government officials in the capital of Naypyidaw. "The United States is prepared to walk the path of reform with you if you keep moving in the right direction," Clinton said. After decades of repressive military rule, she said President Barack Obama was willing to explore improved and expanded ties "to reward reforms with steps to lessen (Myanmar's) isolation and improve the lives of its citizens." In an ornate room at Naypidaw's grandiose presidential palace --- a monstrous-sized building with 40-foot to 60-foot ceilings replete with gold gilt, giant teak doors and white marble floors that lies off an enormous but empty 20-lane highway --- Thein Sein appeared eager to embrace the opening with the United States. He told Clinton her visit was a "historic milestone" that would "enhance relations and cooperation." A senior U.S. official said Thein Sein had outlined his government's plans for reform in a 45-minute presentation in which he acknowledged that Myanmar lacked a recent tradition of democracy and openness. He asked for U.S. help in making the transition from military to full civilian rule, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private diplomatic exchange. Clinton replied that she was visiting because the U.S. was "encouraged by the steps that you and your government have taken to provide for your people." Yet, she also made clear that those steps must be consolidated and enlarged if the U.S. is to consider easing near-blanket economic sanctions that block almost all American commercial transactions with Myanmar. "While measures already taken may be unprecedented and certainly welcome, they are just a beginning," she told reporters. "We're not at the point yet where we can consider lifting sanctions that we have in place because of our ongoing concerns about policies that have to be reversed," Clinton said. "But any steps that the government takes will be carefully considered and will be matched." She called for the release of political prisoners and an end to brutal ethnic violence that has ravaged the nation for decades. "We believe that any political prisoner anywhere should be released. One political prisoner is one too many in our view," she said. Clinton was meeting later Thursday with opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a longtime political prisoner who has said she will run in upcoming elections. Clinton also warned the country's leadership to break suspected illicit military, nuclear and ballistic missile cooperation with North Korea that may violate U.N. sanctions. "Better relations with the United States will only be possible if the entire government respects the international consensus against the spread of nuclear weapons ... and we support the government's stated intention to sever military ties with North Korea," she said. In his presentation, Thein Sein vowed that Myanmar would uphold its U.N. obligations with respect to North Korea, according to the senior U.S. official. He also told Clinton that Myanmar was actively considering signing a new agreement with the U.N. nuclear watchdog that would allow unfettered inspections of atomic sites in the country, the official said. Clinton rejected the idea that the U.S. outreach to Myanmar was partially motivated by the growing influence of China. "We are not viewing this in light of any competition with China," she said. "We are viewing it as an opportunity for us to re-engage here." "We welcome positive constructive relations between China and her neighbors. We think that is in China's interest as well as in the neighborhood's interest," she said. Recalling Obama's mention of "flickers of progress" in Myanmar when he announced that Clinton would visit the country, Clinton urged the leadership not to allow them to "be stamped out." "It will be up to the leaders and the people to fan flickers of progress into flames of freedom that light the path toward a better future," she said. "That --- and nothing less --- is what it will take for us to turn a solitary visit into a lasting partnership." Despite the historic nature of Clinton's visit, enthusiasm has been muted within Myanmar. Chan Tun, a 91-year-old veteran politician and a retired ambassador to China, said: "This is a very critical visit because U.S. will understand Myanmar better through engagement. U.S. engagement will also help Myanmar's dependence on China." But Clinton's presence has been overshadowed by the arrival Thursday of the prime minister of Belarus and his wife, to whom two large welcoming signs were erected at the airport and the road into the city. No such displays welcomed Clinton. The Belarus Prime Minister made the front page of Thursday's edition of the government-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper. Clinton's visit was mentioned in a two-paragraph story on page 2. Still, some in Myanmar welcomed the attention from the U.S. "I watched the arrival of Ms. Clinton on Myanmar TV last night," 35-year-old taxi driver Thein Zaw said. "I am very happy that Ms. Clinton is visiting our country because America knows our small country, whether it is good or bad." http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501712_162-57334420/clinton-challenges-myanmar-to-expand-its-reforms/ ------------------------------------------- Clinton Presses Myanmar on Freedoms Before Meeting With Aung San Suu Kyi By Daniel Ten Kate and Nicole Gaouette - Dec 1, 2011 4:46 PM GMT+0700 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pressing Myanmar's leaders over concerns about the country's links to North Korea and its lack of internal freedoms, ahead of a meeting with civil rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi. The visit by Clinton comes as Suu Kyi confirmed yesterday she will run for parliament in upcoming elections, one of the steps the new government has taken to loosen restrictions in the military-dominated country. Clinton told Myanmar's rulers the U.S. is prepared to enhance ties if democratic changes progress, the Associated Press reported. Clinton, who arrived yesterday in the capital of Naypyidaw, is the highest ranking U.S. official in half a century to visit Myanmar, dominated since 1962 by a repressive military regime that still exerts control through a new civilian government. She will discuss specific steps the U.S. would like to see Myanmar's leaders undertake, and also will meet with ethnic minorities and democracy advocates, according to a State Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. The overall U.S. desire is to be in listening mode and to test the seriousness of the Myanmar government's intent to reform in the period ahead, the official said in a briefing with reporters en route to Myanmar. Clinton told the country's civilian government that as a first step toward encouraging progress the U.S. would provide incentives including not preventing increased cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, AP said. Releasing Prisoners The country's leaders have reached out to the U.S. and made a series of changes, releasing hundreds of prisoners, allowing greater press freedom and passing a law that permits public protests. President Thein Sein, a former general, has opened communication with pro-democracy advocates, changed a law to persuade Suu Kyi's party to participate in elections and consulted her. Going forward Myanmar must release political prisoners and end ethnic violence by pushing for national reconciliation in order for U.S. relations to improve, Clinton said, according to the AP. In a video webcast to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Suu Kyi said she backed the U.S. involvement in her country and confirmed that she will take part in as-yet- unscheduled parliamentary elections. "I will certainly run for the elections when they take place," said Suu Kyi, who has called for the government to release 525 political prisoners who are still locked up. Recent Steps The U.S. has been surprised by some of the steps Myanmar has taken recently, the State Department official said. He added that Clinton will tell Thein Sein and other leaders that this is a first step and that several other things will need to happen for the U.S. to be able to support their efforts. That includes a discussion about concerns that Myanmar may be engaged in weapons trade with North Korea. The U.S. has blocked North Korean ships thought to be carrying weapons to Myanmar, also known by its previous name Burma. The official said the chief U.S. concern is missile technology, not nuclear weapons. Even so, Clinton will ask Myanmar leaders to sign an International Atomic Energy Agency protocol that would allow nuclear inspections, the official said. In Yangon, where Clinton will arrive later today, taxis, buses and motorcycles darted through one of the city's six-lane, tree-lined main boulevards. A billboard touted the country's first call center. 'Slowly Changing' "This year I've seen more foreigners than any other," said Aung Than Oo, 47, who has been a taxi driver for 21 years. "We like this government because it's given us a little bit of democracy. Things are slowly changing." Amnesty International said Myanmar has released at least 318 political prisoners this year and that more than 1,000 remain imprisoned. The Myanmar army continues to commit human rights violations against civilians in ethnic minority areas on a "widespread and systematic basis," the group said on its website. "Myanmar's human rights situation has improved modestly in some respects but is significantly worsening in others," said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar specialist. Clinton's visit also makes the resource-rich Asian nation a new focus in the struggle between the U.S. and China for influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Myanmar has made a concerted effort to reach out to the U.S. to improve relations. In a recent Washington Post opinion article, Zaw Htay, director of the president's office, asked the U.S. to have patience as Myanmar goes about making changes. 'Transform in Steps' "The United States must recognize that Myanmar's politics will transform in steps," Zaw Htay wrote. He called for strong support from the U.S. if it wants Myanmar "to become a democratic country as measured by their values and norms." He pointed to the government's September decision to suspend construction of a $3.6 billion Chinese-backed dam in the northern part of the country, saying it "signaled to the world what he stands for." Douglas Paal, director of the Asia program at Washington's Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Myanmar's leaders are looking for a counterweight to Beijing. "China has been so overwhelmingly involved in Burma that it's looked like a Chinese province," he said. "They want some balance." Rejection of the dam "was seen as an important step in defying Chinese influence," Paal said. Myanmar's moves to engage the West are "not really" about reducing reliance on China, Nay Zin Latt, a political adviser to Thein Sein, said in an e-mail interview on Nov. 26. 'Warm Relations' "We should have warm relations with our neighboring countries such as China, India and Thailand," he said. "In the meantime we should also be on good terms with the Western world." Ahead of Clinton's visit, China's Vice President Xi Jinping hosted Min Aung Hlaing, head of the Myanmar armed forces, in Beijing on Nov. 28 and discussed boosting military cooperation. China welcomed the moves by Myanmar "to improve its relations with western countries and hopes its measures help Myanmar's stability and development," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said yesterday. In China, some see Clinton's visit as "another move to encircle" the country, said Sun Zhe, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. "A lot of people think we don't have to worry that much because we also have historical friendship and historical ties with Myanmar," Sun said. To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Gaouette in Washington at ngaouette@bloomberg.net Daniel Ten Kate in Naypyidaw at dtenkate@bloomberg.net http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-01/clinton-presses-myanmar-on-freedoms-before-meeting-with-aung-san-suu-kyi.html ---------------------------------------- U.S. Will Relax Curbs on Aid to Myanmar By STEVEN LEE MYERS Published: December 1, 2011 NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar --- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on Thursday that the United States would loosen some restrictions on international financial assistance and development programs in Myanmar in response to the country's nascent political and economic reforms. The United States and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, also agreed to discuss the possibility of upgrading diplomatic relations --- suspended for two decades --- and exchanging ambassadors, a step that could transform American diplomacy in Southeast Asia. "For decades, the choices of this country's leaders kept it apart from the global economy and the community of nations," Mrs. Clinton said here after meetings with the country's new president, Thein Sein, and other leaders. "Today the United States is prepared to respond to reforms with measured steps to less its isolation and improve the lives of citizens." Mrs. Clinton met Mr. Thein Sein at the monumental presidential palace in Naypyidaw, a city erected only six years ago amid remote farmlands 240 miles north of the country's main city, Yangon. Mr. Thein Sein, a former general and prime minister, greeted her cordially, calling her visit as "a historic milestone" that he hoped would "open a new chapter in relations." The depth of those relations, however, depend on additional steps by Mr. Thein Sein's government to further open the political process, to release political prisoners and to end the violent repression of minority ethnic groups in some of the world's longest internal conflicts, Mrs. Clinton said. Her visit underscored the administration's willingness to re-engage a country it has succeeded in isolating since the military government refused to acknowledge the results of an election in 1990 won by the main opposition party, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In her meetings, Mrs. Clinton and her aides said that she raised a number of issues that still divide the two countries. In addition to political prisoners --- the existence of which Mr. Thein Sein recently denied --- she raised questions about military abuses and called on Myanmar to "sever illicit ties to North Korea" that officials say has included cooperation on ballistic missiles and possibly nuclear technology. Still, Mrs. Clinton welcomed the steps already taken since Mr. Thein Sein became president in March after an election last year that was widely condemned as unfair. Among those steps has been a lifting on a ban on Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy. "It is also encouraging that Aung San Suu Kyi is now free to take part in the political process," she said, "but that too will be insufficient unless all political parties can open offices throughout the country and compete in free, fair and credible elections." In a video conference with the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi said she would run in a special election to fill 48 parliamentary seats, though the date of that vote has not yet been set. She acknowledged that her reentry into the political process --- like the American engagement --- entailed risk. She said that she personally trusted Mr. Thein Sein but added, "I cannot say that everybody in the government feels as he does." Mrs. Clinton was scheduled to travel to Yangon later Thursday, where she will meet with the dissident leader, as well as well as representatives of the country's ethnic groups and leaders of civic organizations. Mrs. Clinton's visit, the first by a secretary of state since 1955, caused little outward fanfare here in the capital, her motorcade passing through the city's broad, but largely deserted boulevards. The government newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, played down Mrs. Clinton's arrival the night before, though it did print on its front page the entire re'sume' of the prime minister of Belarus, who arrived for a visit on Thursday. Mrs. Clinton's visit was covered in a two-paragraph article on the second page. The reciprocal steps Mrs. Clinton announced on Thursday were modest, though symbolically important. The issue of lifting sweeping American sanctions that ban most imports from Myanmar is not yet under consideration. But the United States, she said, will no longer use its ability to block programs by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and it will support the United Nations Development Program in providing aid for health and economic efforts. She also extended an invitation to Myanmar to join the Lower Mekong Initiative, an American-sponsored regional association of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand devoted to water issues. And she said she raised the possibility of conducting joint missions to recover the remains of American soldiers who died in the country during World War II, similar to the effort to search for missing Americans in Vietnam. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/world/asia/us-will-relax-curbs-on-aid-to-myanmar.html ------------------------------------------- THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: DECEMBER 1, 2011, 5:57 A.M. ET Clinton Articulates U.S. Support for Myanmar Reform By KEITH JOHNSON NAYPYITAW, Myanmar---Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. would "actively support" reformers inside the Myanmar government and offered the promise of additional American steps if the regime continues with the tentative loosening of decades-old restrictions in the country begun earlier this year. But she said continued U.S. support will require Myanmar to halt Army violence, release remaining political prisoners, and break ties with North Korea. "I am here today because President Obama and myself are encouraged by the steps you and your government have taken to provide for your people," she told Myanmar President Thein Sein inside his sprawling, gold-and-teak presidential palace in the capital here. Mr. Thein Sein called her visit a "historic milestone" that could lead to "enhanced relations and cooperation." She also met with the foreign minister, parliamentary leaders, and other senior government officials on Thursday, the first full day of her trip to this long-isolated country. Her visit, the first in half a century by a U.S. secretary of state, is meant to test how genuine the new government's commitment to reform is and to encourage elements within the government supporting the reform effort. "In each of my meetings, leaders assured me that progress would continue and broaden. And as it does, America will actively support those, inside and outside government, who genuinely seek reform," Mrs. Clinton said at a news conference. She added that the U.S. is "prepared to respond to reforms with measured steps to lessen its isolation and improve the lives of its citizens." Myanmar's new government took power after an election in late 2010 that Western observers said was a sham, with soldiers or former military leaders winning virtually all key posts. But since then, Myanmar has released a few hundred political prisoners, loosened restrictions on the Internet, the press, and labor unions, and legalized once-outlawed political parties, including the party of Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi. The pace and scope of reform have surprised many longtime Myanmar watchers, and encouraged even skeptics such as Ms. Suu Kyi. While there is no prospect of loosening U.S. sanctions on the outcast country anytime soon, Mrs. Clinton said the initial U.S. steps could include allowing some World Bank and International Monetary Fund missions back inside the country, joint counter-narcotics operations with the Myanmar government, and the inclusion of Myanmar in a U.S.-backed regional developmental group. "These are beginning steps, and we are prepared to go even further if reforms maintain momentum," she said. That could include upgrading diplomatic relations. But Mrs. Clinton cautioned that Myanmar must do much more in a couple of key areas, notably the Myanmar military's reported abuse of ethnic minorities and "illicit" military ties with North Korea. Human rights groups have been especially critical of what they call an escalation in army violence against ethnic minorities this year, and many U.S. congressional leaders are leery of Myanmar's ties with Pyongyang. "As long as terrible violence continues in some of the world's longest-running internal conflicts" in Myanmar, she said, "it will be difficult to begin a new chapter." Mrs. Clinton also called on Myanmar to "sever" its military ties with North Korea and said that improved ties will be possible only if the entire government works to fight the spread of nuclear weapons. Mrs. Clinton also outlined other key areas of concern, a senior U.S. State Department official said, including the plight of political prisoners, and the need for further reforms in law, the media, and labor rights. The State Department official described the meeting at the presidential palace as "workmanlike," and noted that Mr. Thein Sein "very frankly acknowledged" the lack of democratic traditions in the country, and said outside help was welcome and appreciated. Mr. Thein Sein also said Myanmar would uphold a pair of United Nations resolutions limiting the transfer of military technology from North Korea, the State Department official said, and that the government was "strongly considering" signing an additional protocol from the International Atomic Energy Agency regulating proliferation of nuclear technology, both key American demands. The president said the government had entered into dialogue with 10 different ethnic groups and that the country's ultimate goal is a cease-fire and full political participation by ethnic minorities, according to the State Department official. Mr. Thein Sein also said the government is looking at legal mechanisms now to release the remaining political prisoners. Mr. Thein Sein said he believes the reform effort has broad support, and said that "we will try our utmost to create an inclusive political space," the State Department official said. Meanwhile, China on Thursday called for Western countries to lift sanctions against Myanmar, and said future strategic cooperation between Beijing and Naypyitaw would help ensure peace across the region. "Relevant countries should lift sanctions against Myanmar," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei at a daily press briefing Thursday. He added that bolstering ties between China and Myanmar would be beneficial for the entire region. "Continually pushing forward a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is the two countries' common aspiration. This will not only bring benefits to the people of the two countries but is also conducive to regional peace, stability and development," Mr. Hong said. China grew into one of Myanmar's leading strategic and financial backers after it has faced tough sanctions from the U.S. and Europe since the 1990s. China's calls for sanctions to be lifted aren't surprising, but could be designed as a signal from Beijing to Naypyitaw about China's level of support for the Myanmar government, even as Mrs. Clinton said Thursday more reforms were needed there before the U.S. would lift its sanctions. Later Thursday, Mrs. Clinton will fly to Yangon, also known as Rangoon, the country's commercial capital. On Friday, she will meet with Ms. Suu Kyi at the home where the activist once spent years in house arrest. ---Brian Spegele in Beijing contributed to this article. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204012004577071470861388382.html?mod=googlenews_wsj ------------------------------------------- Clinton challenges Burma on reforms (UKPA) -- 48 minutes ago US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has challenged Burma's leaders to continue and expand reforms. She offered the isolated country a small package of rewards for steps it has already taken but made clear that more must be done, including breaking military ties with North Korea. She said the US was ready to further improve relations with the civilian government - but only if it stays on the path of democratisation. In a series of modest first steps, she announced that Washington would allow Burma to participate in a US-backed grouping of Mekong River countries; no longer block enhanced co-operation between the country and the International Monetary Fund; and support intensified UN health, microfinance and counter-narcotics programmes. On a historic visit, Mrs Clinton offered the country future incentives, including the prospect of upgraded diplomatic ties, in return for steps that include releasing political prisoners and ending ethnic violence with aggressive efforts at national reconciliation. "I came to assess whether the time is right for a new chapter in our shared history," she told reporters after meeting President Thein Sein and other senior government officials in the capital of Naypyidaw. "The United States is prepared to walk the path of reform with you if you keep moving in the right direction." After decades of repressive military rule, she said President Barack Obama was willing to explore improved and expanded ties "to reward reforms with steps to lessen (Burma's) isolation and improve the lives of its citizens". At Naypidaw's presidential palace - a huge building with 40ft to 60ft ceilings replete with gold gilt, giant teak doors and white marble floors that lies off an enormous but empty 20-lane motorway - Mr Sein appeared eager to embrace the opening with the United States. He told Mrs Clinton her visit was a "historic milestone" which would "enhance relations and co-operation". A senior US official said Mr Sein had outlined his government's plans for reform in a 45-minute presentation in which he acknowledged that Burma lacked a recent tradition of democracy and openness. He asked for US help in making the transition from military to full civilian rule, according to the official. Later on Thursday, Mrs Clinton was meeting opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a long-time political prisoner who has said she will run in upcoming elections. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jSoFtMWyC_zJDTJH7VRfrF_QUQOA?docId=N0185751322720804958A ------------------------------------------------- BBC NEWS ASIA 1 December 2011 Last updated at 10:24 GMT Clinton pledges improved Burma ties if reforms continue US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged to improve ties with Burma if current reforms continue. After meeting Burmese President Thein Sein, Mrs Clinton said the US would reward Burma's leaders if they kept "moving in the right direction". The president hailed a "new chapter" in relations during talks with Mrs Clinton - the most senior US official to visit Burma in half a century. The US maintains tight sanctions on senior leaders in Burma's hierarchy. But a series of reforms this year has led to speculation that decades of isolation could be about to end. "The United States is prepared to walk the path of reform with you if you keep moving in the right direction," Mrs Clinton said. Continue reading the main story Burmese President Thein Sein has described Hillary Clinton's visit as a milestone that would open a new chapter in relations. That may be overly optimistic, but there is no doubting the importance of the trip to both countries. Mrs Clinton wants to assess first hand the process of change that appears now to be under way in Burma and to try to push for further reforms. In particular, she is likely to highlight the issue of political prisoners and the need for national reconciliation including ethnic minorities. For their part, reformers in the military-backed government are keen to find new friends in the West to balance the growing influence of China and to help Burma develop its moribund economy. "These are incremental steps and we are prepared to go further if reforms maintain momentum. In that spirit, we are discussing what it will take to upgrade diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors," Mrs Clinton told reporters. "Over time, this could become an important channel to air concerns, monitor and support progress and build trust on both sides," she said. However, US officials have stressed that there is unlikely to be any major announcements on sanctions during Mrs Clinton's trip. Analysts say the US is more likely to consider symbolic gestures such as upgrading its mission in Burma to a full embassy. After talks with Thein Sein in the remote capital, Nay Pyi Taw, Mrs Clinton is due to head to the main city, Rangoon, to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy recently re-registered as a political party, and she is expected to stand for parliament in forthcoming by-elections. The NLD had operated outside the political system for two decades, and Ms Suu Kyi spent much of that time in detention. She was freed shortly after the current government came to power. Mrs Clinton's talks with Burma's leadership got under way on Thursday when she met Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin before the talks with President Thein Sein. "I am here today because President Obama and myself are encouraged by the steps that you and your government have taken to provide for your people," Mrs Clinton told Thein Sein as the two sat down for talks. Burma map Thein Sein said her visit would prove to be a "milestone". "Your excellency's visit will be historic and a new chapter in relations," he said before the start of the closed-door meeting. BBC state department correspondent Kim Ghattas, travelling with Mrs Clinton, says the top US diplomat's visit is both a reward for the reforms that have already taken place and an incentive for Burma's government to do more. The US secretary of state said before the trip she was quite hopeful that "flickers of progress" could transform into a real movement for change. 'No resistance' Mrs Clinton is the first secretary of state to visit Burma since John Foster Dulles in 1955. The country was taken over by the military in 1962 and ruled by a brutal and unpredictable junta until last year, when the army ceded power to a nominally civilian government. Although the government is still dominated by figures from the previous military regime, it has introduced several important reforms, and released groups of political prisoners. The visit comes weeks after President Barack Obama toured Asia and made a series of announcements bolstering American commitments in the region. Observers have portrayed the new US focus on Asia as an attempt to counter China's attempts to become the pre-eminent power in the area. And Chinese state media has reacted furiously to Mrs Clinton's visit to Burma. The Global Times, which often runs bombastic nationalistic editorials, warned the US not to impinge on China's interests. "China has no resistance toward Myanmar [Burma] seeking improved relationship with the West, but it will not accept this while seeing its interests stamped on," said a comment piece in the paper. China has invested heavily in Burma, particularly in the energy sector. But big Chinese-funded projects such as a hydroelectric dam in the north have provoked resentment among Burmese and led to an upsurge in fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15978893 ------------------------------- Is There a Flicker of Progress for Freedom of Information in Burma? Posted: 11/30/11 02:42 PM ET Jean-Franc,ois Julliard Secretary general, Reporters Without Borders Burma is one of the world's most repressive countries for the media, ranked 174 out of 178 countries in our latest worldwide index. At least 25 journalists are in jail and the main sources of independent news and information are in exile. Exiled media like the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Irrawaddy and Mizzima News use networks of local correspondents who have to work with the utmost secrecy. Although Barack Obama still expressed concerns over Burma's record on human rights, Hillary Clinton's trip to Nay Pyi Taw and Rangoon this week, the first visit to Burma by a U.S. Secretary of State in over a half a century, will definitely open a new chapter. Since the general election in November 2010, the government of the new President Thein Sein has made a few conciliatory gestures towards the opposition. We all remember the release of the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi on November 13, 2010. Last October, Myanmar Nation editor Win Maung, three DVB journalists and the comedian and blogger Zarganar were also freed under a government amnesty of 230 people. Burma is now working on a new media law and the latest statements released by Burmese officials are promising. On October 7th, 2011 the head of Burma's Press Scrutiny Board called for press freedom in the country, saying his own department should be closed down as part of reforms being pursued by the new nominally civilian government. And last week, Ko Ko Hlaing, the chief political advisor to the President said that "[the] new media law will reflect guaranteed freedom of expression, so no censorship. But there will be some monitoring systems." For the U.S. President, these releases and the media relaxing measures are part of Burma's "flickers of progress," that "could be an historic opportunity for progress [...]. [I]f Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America." This is however quite different with the reality on the ground and there is definitely room for improvement. Last May, the government declared that print media would no longer have to submit articles about leisure, sport and other non-political subjects to the Press Scrutiny Board for approval. The pre-publication censorship that is implemented by the Board is virtually unique in the world and continues to prevent any editorial independence. This measure benefited about 60 per cent of the country's publications but prompted them to be more careful with what they wrote. A lot of publications now censor themselves for fear of reprisals. It seems unlikely that the prior censorship that affects most of Burma's privately owned publications is going to be lifted in the near future. Online freedom is still very limited. Mid-march, the government prohibited the use of services like Skype and VZOchat that allow Internet users to make free or cheap international phone calls. In May, the authorities also tightened Internet cafe' regulations and customers are not allowed anymore to use CDs, USB sticks and floppy drives anymore. But in September, and following a visit by the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, access to a number of previously banned foreign news websites including Youtube, BBC, Reuters, The Bangkok Post, Straits Times, Radio Free Asia, Irrawaddy, DVB, and the Burmese service of Voice of America has been unblocked. Internet connections nonetheless continue to be very slow. Meanwhile, on September 14 this year, a Rangoon court imposed an additional 10-year prison sentence on the jailed Democratic Voice of Burma reporter Sithu Zeya, 21, on a charge of circulating material online that could "damage tranquility and unity in the government" under the Electronic Act. His combined jail sentence is now 18 years. Fourteen video journalists employed by DVB are still being held after receiving long jail sentences. The detained DVB journalists include Hla Hla Win, who is serving a 27-year sentence, and Sithu Zeya. His father, U Zeya, is serving a 13-year sentence for supervising DVB's team of video journalists. Ngwe Soe Lin, is serving a 13-year sentence for helping to make a DVB documentary about children orphaned by Cyclone Nargis (which received a Channel 4 award), and Win Maw is serving a 17-year sentence. Nay Phone Latt, owner of three Rangoon Internet cafe's, was sentenced in 2008 to 20 years and six months in prison for posting blog entries about the difficulties that young Burmese encounter in expressing themselves freely. He is still jailed, left out of the October government amnesty. Secretary Clinton's visit should therefore not only open a new chapter but also set a new tone in the U.S-Burma relationship, ask for relevance as one condition to build a new partnership and not be satisfied with "flickers" that hide the reality. The ASEAN approved Burma's leadership for 2014, believing that it would serve as an incentive to continue political reforms. Although it is too soon to say if this major gesture from the regional organization was too early, it should push the U.S government to continue to firmly announce its expectations for fundamental freedoms and reforms. The European Union has also welcomed the release of political prisoners in Burma and took this opportunity to ask for more reforms before lifting any economic sanctions. If the Burmese government is ready to lead the ASEAN, it has to be in total conformity of its charter, which requires members to respect "the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms." Reporters Without Borders has been asking for years for the release of all journalists and netizens, who are, among many prisoners of conscience, still imprisoned on the basis of illegitimate charges. Bloggers, journalists and all other media workers must eventually be allowed to operate freely in Burma. This will require major reforms, including repeal of the Electronics Act, which has so often been used to censor all forms of expression in Burma. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeanfran/is-there-a-flicker-of-pro_b_1118688.html ------------------------------------------ A democratic Burma? Recent events indicate that Burma may be emerging from its long, self-imposed isolation from the rest of the world. Yuriko Koike Last Modified: 01 Dec 2011 12:38 Tokyo, Japan - Historic transformations often happen when least expected. Mikhail Gorbachev's liberalising policies of glasnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union emerged at one of the Cold War's darkest hours, with US President Ronald Reagan pushing for strategic missile defence and the two sides fighting proxy wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Deng Xiaoping's economic opening followed China's bloody - and failed - invasion of Vietnam in 1978. And South Africa's last apartheid leader, FW de Klerk, was initially perceived as just another apologist for the system - hardly the man to free Nelson Mandela and oversee the end of white minority rule. Now the world is suddenly asking whether Burma (Myanmar), after six decades of military dictatorship, has embarked on a genuine political transition that could end the country's pariah status. Is Burma, like South Africa under de Klerk, truly poised to emerge from a half-century of self-imposed isolation? And can Aung San Suu Kyi, the heroic opposition leader, and Thein Sein, Burma's new president, engineer a political transition as skillfully and peacefully as Mandela and de Klerk did for South Africa in the early 1990s? Suu Kyi's NLD party re-entering politics Despite her two decades of house arrest and isolation, Suu Kyi possesses two of the gifts that enabled Mandela to carry out his great task: a reassuring serenity and an utter lack of vindictiveness. As Burma's authorities test reform, these gifts, together with her negotiating skills and, most of all, her vast moral authority, will be tested as never before. Moreover, unlike Mandela during his 27-year imprisonment, Suu Kyi has had her hopes raised - and dashed - before. In the mid-1990s, and again in 2002-03, reconciliation between Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) and the military junta seemed to be in the offing. On both occasions, however, the regime's hardliners gained the upper hand, crushing prospects for reform. Yet Suu Kyi, and much of the Burmese opposition, is beginning to admit that today's political liberalisation might be the real thing. Because Burma's generals say almost nothing in public, it is difficult to fathom why they allowed elections that elevated Thein Sein to power, or to explain their willingness to embrace dialogue with the long-suppressed opposition. Recent events suggest one possible explanation: Burma's rulers have grown wary of China's almost smothering embrace - a result of the country's international isolation. Indeed, public protests against China's commercial exploitation of Burma's natural resources became so widespread that the government called a halt to construction by Chinese investors on the huge and environmentally damaging Myitsone Dam on the Irrawaddy River. Thein Sein's decision to halt the project is clearly an important policy shift. It is also a signal to the outside world that Burma's new government may be much more willing than any of its predecessors to heed both public pressure and international opinion, both of which vehemently opposed the dam's construction. Almost simultaneously, Thein Sein offered even stronger signals that his was a very different Burmese administration: He freed political prisoners and invited Suu Kyi for direct talks with him. Indeed, Suu Kyi now enjoys far greater freedom of movement than she has at any time since she received the Nobel Peace Prize 20 years ago, and the NLD recently announced that it will field candidates in the forthcoming by-elections to the country's newly established parliament. If Suu Kyi is permitted to campaign free of restraint, for both her own seat and to boost the electoral chances of her NLD colleagues, it will be clear that Thein Sein and his government are truly determined to bring their country in from the cold. For both Suu Kyi and Thein Sein, every step from now on will be delicate, to be calibrated with the same care and deliberation that Mandela and de Klerk used in bridging their differences and leading their country out of isolation. But the international community, too, must act with great care. While Thein Sein would undoubtedly wish to see the myriad economic and political sanctions imposed on Burma quickly lifted, it is too soon for a general easing of such measures. But the outside world should demonstrate that every clear move towards greater political openness will merit more international political and economic engagement. The Japan Investment Bank's decision to invest in port development in Burma - essential if the economy, too, is to be opened - is one positive sign that the world will keep pace with Thein Sein step for step. And US President Barack Obama's decision to send Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Burma to meet Thein Sein is another clear sign that the world is ready to end the country's isolation. Closer to home, ASEAN's recent decision to give Burma a chance to chair the organisation in 2014 underscores its neighbours' desire for the country's full participation in Asia's growing prosperity. No one should rush to judgment yet, but Thein Sein's decisions, at least so far, are beginning to resemble those of South Africa's de Klerk when he initiated his country's reform process. Fortunately, Burma already has in Aung San Suu Kyi its very own Nelson Mandela. Yuriko Koike is Japan's former Minister of Defence and National Security Adviser. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/12/201112110441612319.html