Democracy
champion Aung San Suu Kyi is set to leave Burma for her first visit in
two decades to the United States, where she will be garlanded by
supporters keen to discuss the progress of reforms in the former
junta-ruled country.
The Nobel
laureate, who was elected to parliament this year, will travel to
Washington to meet US President Barack Obama, whose government has been
at the forefront of foreign re-engagement with the long-time military
dominated country.
She will also be showered in awards
including the Congressional Gold Medal, the top honour bestowed by the
US Congress, and meet Burmese diaspora groups as far apart as New York
and San Francisco.
During her near three-week trip, Suu Kyi is
likely to be quizzed about reforms that have seen Burma take tentative
steps onto the global stage after decades under a secretive military
regime.
'I think Daw Suu can talk at least about the reforms
situation in Myanmar (Burma). She will get this opportunity,' said Nyan
Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party,
using a common honorific for the Nobel laureate.
The opposition leader will travel with just three other people, he added, and is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday.
Despite the predicted red carpet welcome her visit is laced with potential political trouble.
Suu Kyi's stay coincides with that of Burma's President Thein Sein, who
is due in the US later in the month to attend the United Nations
General Assembly.
'There is a risk that she will overshadow
this significant first US visit by Thein Sein - who has not yet really
gotten the international recognition that he deserves for the remarkable
reform process that he has put in place,' according to Richard Horsey,
an independent Burma analyst.
Horsey said it would be
'particularly unhelpful' if the US president chose to meet Burma's
democracy champion but not its leader, 'which unfortunately looks to be
the case'.
The 67-year-old could also face tricky questions on
the treatment of stateless Rohingya Muslims after a wave of deadly
communal violence in western Burma.
Suu Kyi has remained
cautious in her comments about the group, who many in Burma believe are
foreigners and therefore not entitled to citizenship.
Last week, the US embassy in Rangoon expressed its 'great concern' at the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state.
Following sweeping moves to lift or suspend sanctions by other Western
nations this year, Washington in July gave the green light to US
companies to invest in Burma, although a ban on all imports from the
country remains.
Ref:http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=795590
The Nobel laureate, who was elected to parliament this year, will travel to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama, whose government has been at the forefront of foreign re-engagement with the long-time military dominated country.
She will also be showered in awards including the Congressional Gold Medal, the top honour bestowed by the US Congress, and meet Burmese diaspora groups as far apart as New York and San Francisco.
During her near three-week trip, Suu Kyi is likely to be quizzed about reforms that have seen Burma take tentative steps onto the global stage after decades under a secretive military regime.
'I think Daw Suu can talk at least about the reforms situation in Myanmar (Burma). She will get this opportunity,' said Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, using a common honorific for the Nobel laureate.
The opposition leader will travel with just three other people, he added, and is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday.
Despite the predicted red carpet welcome her visit is laced with potential political trouble.
Suu Kyi's stay coincides with that of Burma's President Thein Sein, who is due in the US later in the month to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
'There is a risk that she will overshadow this significant first US visit by Thein Sein - who has not yet really gotten the international recognition that he deserves for the remarkable reform process that he has put in place,' according to Richard Horsey, an independent Burma analyst.
Horsey said it would be 'particularly unhelpful' if the US president chose to meet Burma's democracy champion but not its leader, 'which unfortunately looks to be the case'.
The 67-year-old could also face tricky questions on the treatment of stateless Rohingya Muslims after a wave of deadly communal violence in western Burma.
Suu Kyi has remained cautious in her comments about the group, who many in Burma believe are foreigners and therefore not entitled to citizenship.
Last week, the US embassy in Rangoon expressed its 'great concern' at the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state.
Following sweeping moves to lift or suspend sanctions by other Western nations this year, Washington in July gave the green light to US companies to invest in Burma, although a ban on all imports from the country remains.
