WASHINGTON — The United States is not satisfied with recent developments in Burma a top Obama Administration official said on Wednesday, while urging the military junta to listen to the voice of the international community for a better future of its own people.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, who recently returned from his second trip to Burma, said he was disappointed with the talks he had with the military junta during his visit.
“While I was there, I had the opportunity to interact directly with the government, also with elements of the opposition ethnic groups, key groups that are going to be competing in the upcoming election, the NLD, and also I had a chance to meet Aung San Suu Kyi,” Campbell said in response to a question at a news briefing held at the State Department.
“In my statement at the conclusion of my visit, I did underscore that the United States remains quite dissatisfied with what we’ve seen to date in terms of movement on the part of the government on the specific issues that we’ve laid out,” he said.
Campbell said he hopes to see an internal dialogue among the key parties in advance of the upcoming election. He also sought movement on issues associated with political prisoners inside the country, he added.
“We had hoped for more specific steps to ease tensions between the government and ethnic minority groups. And lastly, we wanted to see more progress on issues associated with UN Security Resolution 1874,” Campbell said.
“On each of these issues, we are troubled by developments and we are calling on the government to follow through on specific steps to allow not only a better relationship with the United States and the international community but a better future for its people overall,” said the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Burma is likely to figure in the talks the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will have with her counterparts in China and Japan during her trip to the region later this week.
Clinton is embarking on a week-long trip to Japan, China and South Korea. While her trip to Japan is on bilateral issues, with China she will lead a delegation of some 200 officials along with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take part in the Second US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, who recently returned from his second trip to Burma, said he was disappointed with the talks he had with the military junta during his visit.
“While I was there, I had the opportunity to interact directly with the government, also with elements of the opposition ethnic groups, key groups that are going to be competing in the upcoming election, the NLD, and also I had a chance to meet Aung San Suu Kyi,” Campbell said in response to a question at a news briefing held at the State Department.
“In my statement at the conclusion of my visit, I did underscore that the United States remains quite dissatisfied with what we’ve seen to date in terms of movement on the part of the government on the specific issues that we’ve laid out,” he said.
Campbell said he hopes to see an internal dialogue among the key parties in advance of the upcoming election. He also sought movement on issues associated with political prisoners inside the country, he added.
“We had hoped for more specific steps to ease tensions between the government and ethnic minority groups. And lastly, we wanted to see more progress on issues associated with UN Security Resolution 1874,” Campbell said.
“On each of these issues, we are troubled by developments and we are calling on the government to follow through on specific steps to allow not only a better relationship with the United States and the international community but a better future for its people overall,” said the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Burma is likely to figure in the talks the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will have with her counterparts in China and Japan during her trip to the region later this week.
Clinton is embarking on a week-long trip to Japan, China and South Korea. While her trip to Japan is on bilateral issues, with China she will lead a delegation of some 200 officials along with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take part in the Second US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
