How can I avoid all the traffic from the imperial leader's visit? Golden stupa sits atop the Buddha's enshrined relics, Shwedagon Pagoda (Rohit_saxena/flickr.com). |
Barefoot Pres. Obama and former U.S. Sec'y of State Hillary Clinton tour Theravada Buddhist Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon, Burma renamed "Myanmar" by dictator (AP/Carolyn Kaster). |
- PHOTO GALLERY: Obama in Burma (Telegraph.co.uk)
- Spreading capitalism and sham-democracy to extract resource-rich Buddhist Burma to benefit the West and junta:
Burmese reforms: Obama "confident" of change
Obama, watch out for this guy. - Ellen Page |
U.S. Pres. Obama has said he is "optimistic" about the political transition process in Burma during a visit to the country -- but added that "change is hard." His comments came after a night-time meeting with Burmese Pres. Thein Sein.
Mr. Obama had earlier met Burmese lawmakers, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In an interview published on Wednesday, he had accused the government of backsliding on [nominal democratic] reforms. The U.S. president is in the military dictatorship's new bunker-dotted capital Nay Pyi Taw, relocated from Rangoon, for the East Asia summit.
Gen. Than Shwe, Burma's dictator. |
Following the hour-long meeting with Pres. Sein, Obama said that "the democratic process in Myanmar is real" -- referring to the country by the dictatorship's name for Burma. "We recognize change is hard, and you do not always move in a straight line, but I'm optimistic," he added.
Pres. Sein, a former general hand selected by the military junta, the ruling dictators behind the scenes under General Than Shwe, whom many call the "Asian Hitler," said the talks had been candid, according to the Associated Press news agency.
In 2010, Burma held elections that replaced official military rule with a military-backed "civilian" government of former-general-turned-president Thein Sein [a man who apparently still does the bidding of Gen. Than Shwe]. More
Buddhist monks climb outside of massive main stupa, reliquary mound, Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon, Burma (Touristing/flickr.com). |
Stupa ruins in ancient Pagan/Bagan, Burma near Mandalay (Platongkohphoto/flickr.com). |
Asian Hitler?
(US Campaign for Burma) Ellen Page: "Burma, it can't wait 19"
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