Obama opens door to new U.S. ties with Myanmar

President Barack Obama said on Friday he saw "flickers of progress" in Myanmar and dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to visit the isolated country next month to explore new ties, according to Reuters. Obama, in Indonesia for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, said he had spoken for the first time with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who told him she supported more U.S. engagement with the country also known as Burma. He said the release of political prisoners, relaxing of media restrictions and signs of legislative change in the past few weeks were "the most important steps toward reform in Burma that we've seen in years". "We want to seize what could be a historic opportunity for progress and make it clear that if Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America," Obama said, also citing ongoing U.S. concerns about Myanmar's stance with North Korea and human rights issues. "If Burma fails to move down the path of reform, it will continue to face sanctions and isolation. But if it seizes this moment, then reconciliation can prevail," he said. Myanmar is now ruled by a civilian government after an election last year that was meant to hand over power after nearly five decades of military rule. Many Western governments have expressed doubts that the new civilian authority is committed to democratic change and has embarked on a different path from its military predecessors. But in another sign of change in the country, Suu Kyi said on Friday she supported the idea of her political party re-registering to contest a series of by-elections for vacant parliamentary seats. Clinton's visit will be the first by a U.S. secretary of state for more than 50 years. She will travel to Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw and "explore whether the United States can empower a positive transition in Burma and begin a new chapter between our countries", Obama said. Clinton would be meeting Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest last November. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, had been detained 15 of the previous 21 years.