Myanmar’s Suu Kyi meets Clinton inWashington
After years of decrying oppression against Myanmar’sdemocracy leader, the United States got to celebrate herfreedom as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi to the StateDepartment Tuesday at the start of her landmark tour of America.
Nine months after they met at the Nobel laureate’s crumbling lakeside villa in Yangon, Suu Kyi andClinton are expected to discuss the political changes in the country also known as Burma andwhether Washington should ease its remaining economic sanctions in response to the reforms.
In brief comments open to reporters at the start of their meeting, Clinton and Suu Kyi discussedthe Burmese expatriate community in the state of Indiana that she will travel to during her 17-daystay. “There’s so much excitement and enthusiasm that you can actually come,” Clinton said.
Hours before Suu Kyi touched down in Washington, Myanmar announced Monday a new round ofprisoner releases. According to Suu Kyi’s party, at least 87 political detainees were freed butactivists say they are disappointed that hundreds more remain behind bars.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday the U.S. has yet to identify thosefreed and declined to comment on whether the U.S. could soon waive its import ban.
Since Suu Kyi herself was freed from house arrest in late 2010, she has transitioned from dissidentto parliamentarian. Now confident of her position in Myanmar and free to travel abroad withoutbeing barred from returning, Suu Kyi has in the past four months also visited Thailand and Europe, where she was accorded honors usually reserved for heads of state.
She is also assured of star treatment in the U.S. where she is revered by Democrats andRepublicans alike. The ceremonial highlight of Suu Kyi’s U.S. visit will come Wednesday, when she ispresented Congress’ highest award that she was granted in absentia in 2008 when she was stillunder house arrest. She is also likely to be welcomed to the White House.
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