Obama makes historic Burma visit

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of the capital, Rangoon, as Mr Obama packed in diplomacy and soaked in his steamy surroundings.

He shared words and an affectionate hug with the Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy activist who endured years of house arrest to gain freedom and become a politician.

“We are confident that this support will continue through the difficult years that lie ahead,” she said of the help from America, with Mr Obama at her side.

“The most difficult time in any transition is when you think that success is in sight. We have to be very careful that we’re not lured by a mirage of success.”

Mr Obama told her that if the nation’s leaders keep making true reforms, “we will do everything we can to ensure success”.

The president was then due to give a televised speech at the University of Rangoon, in which he would deliver the same message.

Mr Obama planned to tell his audience that the US is ready to “extend the hand of friendship” now that Burma has unclenched its fist of iron rule.

“Instead of being repressed, the right of people to assemble together must now be fully respected,” he said in speech excerpts released by the White House. “Instead of being stifled, the veil of media censorship must continue to be lifted. As you take these steps, you can draw on your progress.”

Long isolated because of a repressive military rule, Burma began a transition to democracy began last year.

After meeting President Thein Sein, who has orchestrated much of his country’s transition to democracy, Mr Obama said the reforms could unleash “the incredible potential of this beautiful country”.

Mr Obama met Ms Suu Kyi at the home where she spent years under house arrest, a gated compound with a lawn ringed by roses.

His visit to Burma was to last just six hours, but it carries significant symbolism, reflecting a remarkable turnaround in the countries’ relationship.

The US president has rewarded Burma’s rapid adoption of democratic reforms by lifting some economic penalties.He has appointed a permanent ambassador to the country, and pledged greater investment if Burma continues to progress following half a century of military rule.

Some human rights groups say Burma’s government, which continues to hold hundreds of political prisoners and is struggling to contain ethnic violence, has not done enough to earn a personal visit from Mr Obama. The president said his visit is not an endorsement of the government in Burma, but an acknowledgment that dramatic progress is under way.

Mr Obama came down the steps of Air Force One next to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in recognition of their final foreign trip together. Mrs Clinton is leaving the job soon.

The president’s stop came between visits to Thailand and Cambodia. His Asia tour also marks his formal return to the world stage after months mired in a bruising re-election campaign. For his first post-election trip, he tellingly settled on Asia, a region he has deemed as crucial to US prosperity and security.

Aides say Asia will factor heavily in Mr Obama’s second term as the US seeks to expand its influence in an attempt to counter China.

China’s rise is also at play in Burma, which long has aligned itself with Beijing. But some in Burma fear that China is taking advantage of its wealth of natural resources, so the country is looking for other partners to help build its nascent economy.

Even as Mr Obama turned his sights on Asia, widening violence in the Middle East competed for his attention.

He told reporters yesterday that Israel had the right to defend itself against missile attacks from Gaza. But he urged Israel not to launch a ground assault in Gaza, saying it would put Israeli soldiers, as well as Palestinian citizens, at greater risk and hamper an already vexing peace process.

As for Burma, as he seeks to assuage critics, he has trumpeted Ms Suu Kyi’s support of his outreach efforts, saying yesterday that she was “very encouraging” of his trip.

The White House said Mr Obama will express his concern for the ongoing ethnic tensions in Burma’s western Rakhine state, where more than 110,000 people – the vast majority of them Muslims known as Rohingya – have been displaced.

The UN has called the Rohingya – who are widely reviled by the Buddhist majority in Burma – among the world’s most persecuted people.

The president will deliver his speech at a university that was the centre of the country’s struggle for independence against Britain and the launching point for many pro-democracy protests.

The former military junta shut the dormitories in the 1990s fearing further unrest and forced most students to attend classes on satellite campuses on the outskirts of town.