ျမန္မာသတင္း ကမာၻ သိတယ္

Main Menu

The New York Times

Search

SUBSCRIBELOG INOpinion

EDITORIAL

Mr. Obama’s Message to Myanmar

The Myanmar government holds Rohingya, a Muslim minority, in camps in western Rakhine State.TOMAS MUNITA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

President Obama was ebullient during his historic visit to Myanmar in November 2012, the first by an American president to a nation that appeared on the cusp of a democratic transformation after five decades of authoritarian rule. But, in the two years since, the military-dominated, quasi-civilian government in Yangonhas moved far too slowly on the commitments to reforms it made to the United States when the two nations pledged to begin a new relationship.On his second visit to Myanmar, which begins Wednesday, Mr. Obama might be tempted to be circumspect about the dispiriting state of change in Myanmar. That would be a mistake. Officials in Myanmar saw the importance of engaging with the United States to put behind an era of sanctions and international isolation. Mr. Obama should firmly remind them that his administration still has tools to accelerate, or delay, that process. Between now and next fall, when Myanmar is scheduled to hold a general election, there is time to press forcefully for meaningful democratic reforms and an end to the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims.The political shifts this year have not been promising. President Thein Sein vowed early this year that “any citizen” would be allowed to run for the presidency. Yet a parliamentarycommittee in June voted against a constitutional amendment to fix a rule that forbids the country’s leading opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, from being eligible for that office because her children hold British citizenship.Besides disqualifying Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, officials in Myanmar appear to be laying the groundwork for an electoral system that would prevent her party, the National League for Democracy, from ever holding a majority by reserving seats for military officers and representatives of ethnic minorities. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi deserves a shot at leading the nation. This would happen only if the country’s Constitution is amended substantively to give political parties equal footing in future elections.SHARESAVE43 COMMENTSShow Full Article

Most Popular on NYTimes.com

Mario Cuomo, Governor, Governor’s Father and an Eloquent Liberal Beacon, Dies at 82Edward Herrmann, Actor With a Noble Air, Dies at 71Depiction of Lyndon B. Johnson in ‘Selma’ Raises HacklesGovernment Spending, Edging Up, Is a StimulusIn Moments, New Year’s Revelry Became Fatal Crush in ShanghaiMuch of David Duke’s ’91 Campaign Is Now in Louisiana Mainstream

EDITORIAL

The Palestinians’ Desperation Move

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Social Programs That WorkBack to topHomeWorldU.S.PoliticsThe UpshotNew YorkBusiness DayTechnologySportsOpinionScienceHealthArtsStylePhotosVideoMost EmailedMore SectionsSettingsDownload the NYTimes appHelpFeedbackTerms of ServicePrivacy© 2015 The New York Times Company