Obama to Push Reforms in Myanmar

Barack Obama will become the first sitting US president to visit Myanmar on Monday when he meets officials in Yangon as part of his Southeast Asia tour.

Published

6 months ago

Categories

US, World

Topics

US Politics, United States, Asia

People

Barack Obama, Aung San Suu Kyi, Thein Sein

Places

United States of America, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Yangon

Transcript

Myanmar prepares for a high-profile visit from U.S. President Barack Obama. His trip to Yangon on Monday makes him the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country. It also signals support for reforms enacted since military rulers handed power to a semi-civilian government last year. He is scheduled to meet Myanmar's president, as well as popular opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. American tourists in Myanmar, whose numbers have increased since the transition, said they approved of growing U.S. engagement. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES TOURIST FROM ILLINOIS, BEN WARNER, SAYING: "I don't think it could be too fast. I think the more that we support changing countries into democracies, the better off the world will be." (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES TOURIST FROM ILLINOIS, SY NAGORSKY, SAYING: "Sometimes in a country like this that's making moves forward, you need to be a little bit sensitive to where the people come from. So I think that he should measure his words and think about what he's saying." Obama is also making stops in Thailand and Cambodia during a tour seen by some as a move to counter China's influence in the region.