U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today said Burmese government has shown encouraging commitments about reform during an interview with Wyatt Andrews of CBS in Burma.
“We saw some positive changes in Burma. We’ve heard some encouraging commitments, but there’s still so much to be done, starting with the unconditional complete release of all the political prisoners, that were are still in an engaging mode.” -Ms. Clinton
She said the United States wants to follow closely what the Burmese leaders actually do.
“As I’ve said, when they start to take actions that further the momentum for reform and democratization, we will, too.” -Ms. Clinton
She noted she found a lot of things that are promising. She stated reasons for her visit in Burma. She wanted to send a very clear signal that the United States would welcome the reform process, deepening, continuing, and taking on the hard issues like the political prisoners, the elections, their free, fair, credible nature, the difficult work of trying to end these conflicts in ethnic areas that have gone on for 60 years.
“The country cannot be unified, cannot be secure and at peace, and there will always be then an excuse for the military to have to assert itself on security grounds.” -Ms. Clinton
She stressed there are some very promising steps. She said the United States will continue supporting the reformers of Burma.
