• Burmese
Sunday, September 24, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
27 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

US’s Kerry Presses Burma Leaders on Human Rights, Reforms

by Lesley Wroughton
August 9, 2014
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
US's Kerry Presses Burma Leaders on Human Rights

Secretary of State John Kerry (L) speaks with President Thein Sein during their meeting at the Presidential hall

5.1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

NAYPYIDAW — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday pressed Burma’s political leaders on Washington’s human rights concerns and urged its President Thein Sein to step up constitutional reforms to ensure elections next year are fully credible.

Kerry, in Burma’s capital for the ASEAN Regional Forum, met Thein Sein and discussed plans for elections in 2015, concerns over the treatment of the minority Muslim Rohingya, as well as the jailing of journalists, a senior State Department official said. He also discussed these issues with Shwe Mann, the speaker of parliament and leader of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

RelatedPosts

Myanmar Junta Massacres Sagaing Resistance Fighters

Myanmar Junta Massacres Sagaing Resistance Fighters

September 23, 2023
1.6k
Myanmar’s Civilian Government Calls on International Community to Help Unseat Junta

Myanmar’s Civilian Government Calls on International Community to Help Unseat Junta

September 23, 2023
850
Myanmar Junta Troops Loot Abandoned Magwe Town

Myanmar Junta Troops Loot Abandoned Magwe Town

September 23, 2023
749

While officials acknowledged there had been significant change in Burma during its political transition since 2011 from military rule, they also said there had been “some resistance and some slowdown” in tackling more difficult issues such as press freedom and constitutional reforms.

Kerry will meet with Burma opposition leader and international icon Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon on Sunday. She has campaigned for a change to the constitution that bars her from the presidency and gives substantial political power to unelected military members of parliament. The United States has promised to ease sanctions further if there are more reforms, including the withdrawal of the military from politics.

But U.S. officials said the lifting of remaining sanctions was unlikely until the process of reform and respect for human rights advances. “Right now the focus is entirely on bearing down on these more fundamental challenges that they are now coming face to face with,” the senior official said.

Rohingya in the Spotlight

Kerry got into “quite a few details” about the situation in Rakhine state and the minority Muslim Rohingya community, the official said. In particular, he addressed the designation of the term “Bengali” which the Rohingya see as underscoring an assertion they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many have lived in western Burma for generations.

“The name issue should be set aside,” the official said. “To force any community to accept a name they consider to be offensive is to invite conflict, and if the goal is to prevent conflict, then it’s better to set that aside.” Kerry also raised specific cases involving the arrest of journalists, the official added.

The senior State Department official said there was no resistance from Thein to discussing the issues. Ye Htut, Burma’s minister of information, said on Friday the government had moved in the right direction since elections in 2011 but also recognized it needed to do more.

“We don’t deny there are some challenges that we are facing,” he said, “But we are moving toward the right direction and we’re trying our best to overcome these challenges.” “People in Congress should have more understanding of our situation, and instead of blaming us, they try to find a way to help the Burma people to solve all these things,” he said.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: More
Previous Post

US Call for South China Sea ‘Freeze’ Gets Cool Response From China

Next Post

A Lifetime of War, with No Peace in Sight

Lesley Wroughton

Lesley Wroughton

Reuters

Similar Picks:

No Content Available
Load More
Next Post
A Lifetime of War

A Lifetime of War, with No Peace in Sight

In The Zone

In The Zone

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Former Refugee Puts Plight of Myanmar Children Center Stage at Miss Universe Pageant

Former Refugee Puts Plight of Myanmar Children Center Stage at Miss Universe Pageant

5 days ago
1.9k
Myanmar Junta Boss Unlikely to Get BRI Forum Invite He Craves From China

Myanmar Junta Boss Unlikely to Get BRI Forum Invite He Craves From China

4 days ago
1.4k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Massacres Sagaing Resistance Fighters

    Myanmar Junta Massacres Sagaing Resistance Fighters

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar’s Civilian Government Calls on International Community to Help Unseat Junta

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Troops Loot Abandoned Magwe Town

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Junta Watch: Belarus Seals Bloody Alliance With Regime; Resistance-Hit Naypyitaw Touted as Top Tourism Destination; and More

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fighting Set to Intensify on Myanmar’s Border with China: Analysts

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.