Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Myanmar today on the first top-level US visit for half a century, seeking to encourage a "movement for change" in the military-dominated nation.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Myanmar today on the first top-level US visit for half a century, seeking to encourage a "movement for change" in the military-dominated nation.
Clinton flew into a little-used airport in Naypyidaw, the remote city where Myanmar's generals abruptly moved their capital in 2005, in a stark test of US efforts to engage the strategic but long-isolated country.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has surprised observers with a series of reformist moves in the past year, including releasing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and nominally ending decades of military rule.
President Barack Obama personally announced Clinton's trip during a visit to Asia earlier this month, citing "flickers" of hope. But his administration has sought to keep expectations low, mindful of other false dawns in Myanmar.
During a stop in South Korea for an aid conference, Clinton said the United States and other nations hoped that the flickers "will be ignited into a movement for change that will benefit the people of the country".
The top US diplomat told reporters that she would look to "determine for myself what is the intention of the current government with respect to continuing reforms, both political and economic".
Clinton has said she will insist that Myanmar free all political prisoners -- activists' estimates vary between 500 and more than 1,600 -- and move to end long-running ethnic conflicts that have displaced thousands of people.
Senior administration officials said Clinton would not announce an end to sweeping economic sanctions on Myanmar, a step that would require approval by Congress. But top US diplomats rarely undertake such high-profile visits without being ready to offer some incentives for further action.
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