RANGOON —US President Barack Obama will meet with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon on November 14 during his second visit to Burma, following his audience with President Thein Sein in Naypyidaw during the Asean Summit.
The White House announced on Tuesday that President Obama will be in Burma from November 12-14 between official visits to China and Australia. While in Naypyidaw, the president will attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the US-Asean Summit, and hold a bilateral meeting with President Thein Sein.
On November 14, the President will travel to Rangoon to participate in a town hall event with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative before meeting with Suu Kyi.
Executive members of the National League for Democracy have yet to be informed about the details of President Obama’s plans to meet party leader Suu Kyi next week, according to Win Htein, a member of the party’s Central Executive Committee.
“I don’t know about his [Obama’s] meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” Win Htein told The Irrawaddy. “That’s why I can’t say who from our party will also be included in the meeting, and I can’t say what issues will be raised in this meeting either.”
This will be Suu Kyi’s third meeting with Obama since her release from house arrest in 2010, following the opposition leader’s trip to the United States in September 2012 and the President’s first visit to Burma two months later.
According to the White House statement, before trip to Burma, Obama will visit to China from November 10-12 to attend the APEC Leaders Meeting and APEC CEO Summit. Upon conclusion of his APEC commitments, the president will participate in a state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
After leaving Burma, the president will participate in the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane, Australia and deliver a speech on US leadership in the Asia-Pacific. Details on additional meetings and events will be forthcoming.
