US Senator John McCain was expected to meet Myanmar’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday during a visit for talks with the new army-backed government and opposition.
The senior Republican’s visit comes as US President Barack Obama, who beat McCain in the 2008 White House race, pursues greater engagement with the military-dominated nation.
On Wednesday, McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with Burmese Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo and Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin in the capital Naypyidaw, according to state media.
They “exchanged views on promotion of bilateral ties and cooperation between the two -countries,” the New Light of Myanmar reported.
Yesterday, McCain was expected to hold talks in Yangon with Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest in November shortly after the junta held the country’s first election in 20 years.
The vote, which was won by the military’s political proxies, was marred by widespread complaints of cheating and intimidation.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party was abolished by the junta for boycotting the poll and has no voice in the new parliament.
McCain wrote on the Twitter micro-blogging Web site that he was “looking forward to seeing my inspiration, Aung San Suu Kyi. It has been a long, long time.”
He was also expected to meet Khin Maung Swe, the leader of the National Democratic Force, formed by a group of former members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party who broke away to run in the November vote and won several seats in parliament.
“We will discuss the hot issues here like sanctions and [a prisoner] amnesty,” Khin Maung Swe said.
Rights groups criticized Myanmar last week after it released thousands of prisoners last month in a so-called amnesty. Most of them were common criminals rather than political prisoners.
McCain’s talks follow a visit last month by senior US diplomat Joseph Yun, who called for “meaningful, concrete steps” toward democracy, respect for human rights and the release of political prisoners, the US embassy said.
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