President Barack Obama urged the Myanmar government to maintain its commitment to democratic reforms during his visit to the country for the ASEAN summit. “The work is not yet done,” Obama said. “Like every good friend we will praise what works, there will be time where we’ll offer constructive criticism about the lack of progress in certain areas or where reform efforts have stalled.”
In 2010, Myanmar held elections, replacing the junta with a military-backed civilian government. Since then, the government has amnestied scores of political prisoners, relaxed media restrictions, and released opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. But despite significant political changes, Myanmar has stalled in its transition. The constitution grants significant political rights to the military and human rights abuses remain rampant, particularly in western Rakhine state where members of the mostly Muslim Rohingya ethnic group have faced targeted violence at the hands of mobs and local security forces.
President Obama discussed these concerns with a group of lawmakers, including Suu Kyi, in the capital of Naypyidaw. Obama is set to hold talks with President Thein Sein today.
While Obama has been outspoken about the recent backsliding on rights, some question his ability to leverage ongoing reforms. The United States eased sanctions, its primary tool to encourage Myanmar’s democratic transition, on the country two years ago. “When reforms started, that was exactly when the sanctions were needed,” Human Rights Watch’s Burma researcher David Mathieson told Foreign Policy. “By taking them away too quickly, the U.S. was surrendering leverage.”
Source: Foreign Policy
