US Will Not ‘Turn a Blind Eye’ to Myanmar’s Reform Issues: Kerry. US Secretary of State John Kerry meets National League for Democracy chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside villa in Rangoon on Sunday evening. (Photo: Simon Lewis / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The United States will not turn a blind eye to problems including human rights violations in Burma, Secretary of State John Kerry said during his visit to the country, while reaffirming his government’s endorsement of President Thein Sein’s reforms. Kerry spent Saturday and Sunday in Burma, attending a regional meeting in Naypyidaw and meeting with Thein Sein and Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann.
“We had a very frank discussion with the president and with his team,” Kerry told a press conference in the capital on Sunday that was broadcast on state television, describing the talks as “very comprehensive.” Kerry reportedly also raised US concerns over ongoing discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Arakan State. “Is everything hunky-dory? No, not yet. Myanmar, US to Cooperate in Fighting Narcotics - ABC News - Pale Moon.
US sends basketball players, coaches to Myanmar. YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- The U.S. has appointed an ambassador to Myanmar and helped bring in American businessmen keen on doing business in the rapidly reforming Southeast Asian nation. Now, Washington is sending professional basketball players and coaches in a bid to boost cultural ties. The U.S. Embassy said Sunday that four "sports envoys" will be in the country this week as part of a U.S.
State Department-sponsored program "to emphasize the importance of academics, cooperation, and respect for diversity. " The group will conduct several sports workshops with local youth before leaving Friday. The group includes Charlotte Bobcats basketball team manager Richard Cho, a Myanmar native who migrated to the United States. Buddhist-dominated Myanmar has a national basketball team and courts are a common fixture at private and missionary schools. Clinton in Burma: The WMD dimension. Andrew Selth is a Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and author of Burma and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Not If, But Why, How and What. As expected, Hillary Clinton's historic visit to Burma last week prompted a flurry of reports and op-eds in the news media and on activist websites. Most of the immediate coverage focused on her discussions with President Thein Sein (pictured) and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The perennial issues of democratic reform in Burma, the release of political prisoners, the development of civil society, the plight of the ethnic communities and US economic sanctions were all given a good airing. While some were more cautious than others, most observers acknowledged that something very important is happening in Burma, and the Secretary of State's visit was a turning point in relation with the US. However, even experienced Burma-watchers were unable to agree on what actually prompted the visit.
Image courtesy of the US State Department.