US Bids to Restore Relations with Burma

The US wants to restore full diplomatic relations with Burma, as an incentive to the Burmese regime to continue with its pro-democracy measures and restoring peace with the ethnic minorities.

An announcement in this regard came from the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, moments after President Barack Obama hailed the Burmese government’s decision to release hundreds of political prisoners, and asked Clinton to look into whether the administration can match the efforts of the new rulers of this country.

“I have directed Secretary Clinton and my administration to take additional steps to build confidence with the government and people of Burma so that we seize this historic and hopeful opportunity,” Obama said on Friday.

While travelling to Indonesia in November, Obama spoke about “the flickers of progress” in reference to the new Burmese government’s program of reforms. “Today, that light burns a bit brighter, as prisoners are reunited with their families and people can see a democratic path forward,” said Obama, who spoke with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League of Democracy, in November.

Quickly following the direction of her president, Clinton held a hurriedly convened news briefing at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, announcing that the US will send an ambassador to Burma and restore full diplomatic relations.

“As I said last December, the United States will meet action with action,” she said. “Based on the steps taken so far, we will now begin. In consultation with members of Congress and at the direction of President Obama, we will start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Burma,” Clinton said.

The Obama administration will identify a candidate to serve as US ambassador to represent the United States government and thus broader efforts to strengthen and deepen its ties with both the people and the government, she said on Friday.

On Saturday, Clinton spoke over the telephone with her Burmese counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, and Suu Kyi. In both calls, Clinton welcomed the announcement of the release of hundreds of political prisoners and a ceasefire with the Karen National Union.

“She underscored that the United States is committed to walking down the path of reform with the people and government of Burma,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. “She told Foreign Minister Lwin that the United States is prepared to meet action with action, and they discussed the Secretary’s proposal to exchange ambassadors between our two countries.”

“Secretary Clinton also noted the importance of Burma taking steps to unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners, end violence and human rights abuses in ethnic areas, and address international concerns about Burma’s military ties to North Korea,” she said.

“Clinton and Aung San Suu Kyi exchanged views on the upcoming April 1 by-elections, and the need to continue to work for national reconciliation in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi noted her support for the US efforts to engage the government of Burma,” Nuland said.

Later, a senior US State Department official told reporters that the Obama administration has immediately started on the exchange of ambassadors. At the same time, the official said the US is a little bit cautious too.

“We’re being careful. We obviously welcome this, but we’re going to want to see the full details and continue to work closely with various international partners and friends on this,” he said.

“At the key to peace and stability and progress in Burma—what others call Myanmar—is these substantial challenges: ethnic violence, horrible abuse. And the fact that the government has taken these steps seriously on top of the political dynamic with Aung San Suu Kyi, the release of political prisoners, is significant,” the official told reporters at a back ground briefing. At the same time, the official said still a lot of work is yet to be done.

Meanwhile, a State Department official who asked not to be named told The Irrawaddy that the Obama administration has asked Burma to sever its military ties with North Korea.

He said the US would soon dispatch a senior State Department official to hold talks with the Burmese regime in this regard, noting that the US has serious concerns about Burma’s relationship with North Korea, in particular those aspects pertaining to nuclear proliferation and missile development.

The US’s assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation, Thomas Countryman, will be in Burma this week for high-level consultations on several issues, the official said. “We will be talking with them about Naypyidaw’s intention to sign the Additional Protocol of the IAEA.

That still has not been finalized, but there are substantial progress that have been made in recent weeks,” he said.

The primary focus of the US right now is full implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions with respect to certain military interactions between Burma and North Korea, he said. “Those have spanned certain areas, but the issue and the area that we have been most focused on is in the realm of missiles,” he said.

“We have consistently made clear, both to the government in Pyongyang but also in Naypyidaw, and also to associated countries in the surrounding region, of our determination to see those contacts end,” the official said.

“We have asked the current [Burmese] government for a commitment not to enter into new contracts of this sort with Pyongyang,” he said, adding that the proliferation of missiles to Southeast Asia is not in the interests of any of the countries in the region.

“It could spike regional tensions,” he said. “We are also obviously concerned by a provision of hard currency to the regime in North Korea. And these kinds of surreptitious connections with respect to proliferation, we believe, undermine a larger peace and stability.”