The Foreign Service Journal, January 2012

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 Burma: A Reinvigorated U.S. Asia Policy Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Dec. 1-2 trip to Burma con- stituted one of the tip ends of a rein- vigorated U.S. foreign policy toward on the Asia-Pacific region. Sec. Clinton previewed the new policy in her No- vember Foreign Policy article, “Our Pa- cific Century.” Both Sec. Clinton and President Barack Obama highlighted the new ori- entation in separate Asian tours in early November, meeting in Hawaii to host the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Co- operation summit. The Burma visit was the first by any top American official in a half-century. The country (also known as Myanmar) is considered one of the most corrupt in the world and has a history of op- pressive military governments. But last March, the Burmese junta turned over power to a civilian government. Though its civilian status is nominal (the regime is primarily comprised of former senior military officers from the State Peace and Development Council era, 1988-2011), this past fall the gov- ernment began to take steps toward change that took expatriate democracy advocates and others by surprise. In November the regime released Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and the longtime adversary of the junta has an- nounced that her party, the National League for Democracy, is ready to re- enter politics and will register to com- pete in the upcoming parliamentary elections. This announcement follow- ed the release of other political prison- ers, greater freedom for the media and other signs of gradual political and eco- nomic opening. Accompanying the domestic moves has been a foreign policy shift most strikingly displayed in the regime’s late- September suspension of a $3.6 billion Chinese dam project at Myitsone. En- vironmental concerns, the displace- ment of some 15,000 ethnic Kachin, and the realization that China would consume 90 percent of the energy the dam generates all sparked public out- rage in Burma. China has historically exercised great influence over the country, and Burma has relied on Beijing for invest- ment in the face of long-term sanctions; so a readjustment of relations is clearly under way. The November decision of the 10 heads of state of the Association of South East Asian Nations to choose Burma to chair the organization’s 2014 meeting also testified to the quick pace of developments. During her visit, Sec. Clinton met with President Thein Sein and other government officials and with Aung San Suu Kyi. “As I told President Thein Sein,” she said in a Dec. 1 press confer- ence after meeting with officials, “the United States is prepared to walk the path of reformwith you if you choose to keep moving in that direction. And there’s no doubt that direction is the right one for the people.” She outlined U.S. concerns over human rights, in- cluding ongoing violence against ethnic minorities, and also called upon the regime to be more transparent in its re- lations with North Korea. The next day, after a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi at her home, Clin- ton reiterated: “The United States wants to be a partner with Burma. We want to work with you as you further democratisation, as you release all po- litical prisoners, as you begin the diffi- cult but necessary process of ending the ethnic conflicts that have gone on far too long, as you hold elections that are free, fair and credible.” Significantly, following the high-pro- file visit Pres. Thein Sein signed a new law permitting peaceful protest for the first time, and official media announced that the government had agreed to a ceasefire with the Shan State Army South, an armed ethnic group. Not everyone is optimistic about the prospects, however. Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, commented: “Burma has long been a millstone around ASEAN’s neck that won’t be removed by making Burma the chair in 2014. ASEAN needs to set clear benchmarks for re- form and closely monitor progress” C YBERNOTES