GOOD MORNING MYANMAR…
November 11th, 2009
Reality is all in the qualifiers, in this case an adverb. When President Barak Hussein Obama sits down with the heads of the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this weekend, he will reiterate the U.S. call for the release of all political prisoners in Myanmar. All, of course, includes Aung San Suu Kyi.
Here’s where the qualifier comes in. According to the Voice Of America:
A White House spokesman said Tuesday that Mr. Obama will reiterate U.S. calls for the release of all political prisoners in Burma, and will probably mention Aung San Suu Kyi by name. [Emphasis mine, JH.]
In diplomatic speak that means that U.S. diplomats are working furiously behind the scenes to negotiate Suu Kyi’s release and that if they can obtain guarantees that Myanmar’s Prime Minister Thein Sein will acquiesce to President Obama’s request, then he will make that request during the meeting.
Last week, a senior U.S. official was in Burma for talks with the country’s ruling generals, putting in motion the Obama administration’s new policy of “pragmatic engagement” with the isolated southeast Asian nation. The talks are part of an effort to press Burma’s military rulers to hold talks with opposition parties and ethnic minorities.
But the administration also has vowed to maintain sanctions on Burma until it makes progress toward democracy.
Suu Kyi is the quid to the lifting, at least in part, of the sanctions quo.
[...] Council, aka Myanmar’s military dictators, or that he is anticipating a favorable outcome to back channel talks. Burma’s detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is reported to be planning what is [...]