In light of President Obama's travel to Myanmar for the East Asia Summit and U.S.-ASEAN Summit on November 12, pressure on the Myanmar government is mounting to revise its pro-military constitution and enact real reform. Obama’s trip came at a delicate time in U.S.-Myanmar relations and in advance of the country’s 2015 presidential elections. Myanmar-watchers were keenly observing to see how Obama would address these key issues.
During a recent visit to Myanmar under the auspices of the New America Foundation, Suzanne DiMaggio and Priscilla Clapp met with a wide array of senior ministers, politicians, ethnic minority and civil society leaders, and members of the private sector. They discussed their findings, their conclusions about Obama’s visit, and their predictions for the future of U.S.-Myanmar relations.
This event was cosponsored by the New America Foundation.
Suzanne DiMaggio
Suzanne DiMaggio is a senior fellow and director at the New America Foundation. She has a special interest in the role of unofficial policy dialogue with countries with limited official U.S. relations, especially Iran, North Korea, and Myanmar.
Priscilla Clapp
Priscilla Clapp is a retired Foreign Service officer, who served as U.S. chargé d’affaires in Yangon from 1999 to 2002. A recognized expert on Myanmar, she is currently a senior adviser to the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Asia Society, as well as a number of other non-governmental organizations.
Vikram Nehru
Vikram Nehru is a senior associate in Carnegie’s Asia Program where he focuses on the economic, political, and strategic issues confronting Asia, particularly Southeast Asia.
