Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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           Burmese President's White House Visit a Reward for Reforms

   Burmese President Thein Sein is visiting the White House on Monday,
   becoming the first leader of his nation to do so in nearly half a
   century. It marks the latest U.S. effort to reward him for introducing
   reforms after decades of military rule.
   President Barack Obama`s invitation to his Burmese counterpart to meet
   at the White House also represents a rapid diplomatic boost for Thein
   Sein, whom the United States removed from a blacklist of foreign
   officials denied entry to the country only last year. Mr. Obama
   previously recognized Burma`s reform efforts by making the first visit
   to that nation by a sitting U.S. president last November.
   The White House says Mr. Obama is committed to supporting countries
   such as Burma that make a decision to "embrace reform."
   But, rights groups accuse Mr. Obama of sending the wrong message to
   Burma. They say Mr. Thein Sein`s White House invitation reduces
   pressure on him to release political dissidents and stop alleged rights
   abuses against Burma`s ethnic minorities.
   Some U.S. lawmakers also have said they will try to slow the process of
   lifting U.S. sanctions on Burma to keep the pressure on Mr. Thein Sein
   to address those concerns.
   Some analysts say the Obama administration wants to help Mr. Thein Sein
   to overcome resistance within the Burmese military toward further
   democratic change. They say the U.S. embrace of Burma also is part of a
   strategy to boost ties with Southeast Asian nations as a counterweight
   to China`s growing regional power.
   The White House said Mr. Obama and Mr. Thein Sein planned to discuss
   "many remaining challenges to (Burmese) efforts to develop democracy,
   address communal and ethnic tensions, and bring economic opportunity"
   to the Burmese people.
   President Thein Sein addressed some of those issues at a town hall
   meeting at the Voice of America on Sunday.
   He said ethnic violence against minority Muslims in western Burma is
   criminal behavior, not civil strife. He also acknowledged what he
   called "heavy-handed" actions by some police in their efforts to
   control political dissent in his country. But, he said both protesters
   and police must understand their responsibilities as democracy takes
   hold.
   Mr. Thein Sein told a group of about 30 Burmese living in the United
   States that the development of democracy in their homeland must go hand
   in hand with economic development, which he said must be a priority.
   U.S.-based group Physicians for Human Rights released a report Monday,
   accusing Burmese authorities of standing by while militants attacked an
   Islamic boarding school in the central town of Meiktila in March. It
   said the assailants killed at least 20 children and four teachers.
   The report`s lead author Richard Sollom said President Obama should use
   Monday`s meeting to "persuade Burma`s leader that the only path from
   tyranny to democracy is through the promotion and respect of human
   rights." Sollom also called on President Thein Sein to support an
   independent investigation into the Meiktila killings and to "bring
   perpetrators to justice and speak out forcefully against ongoing
   anti-Muslim violence."
   Burmese authorities have repeatedly disputed accusations by rights
   groups that security forces ignore or participate in the violence.
   Washington has been re-engaging the Burmese government since a
   long-ruling military junta stepped aside in late 2010 and permitted
   democratic elections the following year.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/burmese-presidents-white-house-visit-
   a-reward-for-reforms/1664636.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/burmese-presidents-white-house-visit-a-reward-for-reforms/1664636.html