The United States will boost military ties with Burma later this month to encourage greater professionalism and more civilian oversight over the Southeast Asian country’s armed forces, The Myanmar Times reports. US ambassador Derek Mitchell made the announcement on Thursday in Rangoon, alongside Ben Rhodes, a close adviser to US President Barack Obama. Mitchell said military engagement would focus on human rights issues and that the United States was “not even close” to engaging in arms sales or operational training, the newspaper reported, while Rhodes, who is visiting Burma this week, called for amendments to the military-written Constitution.