Looking at the Future of US-Myanmar Relations

The Takeaway

For years, relations between the U.S. and Myanmar have been frozen. Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world, with systematic human rights violations, rampant child labor, and a health care system that has been ranked by the World Health Organization as the worst in the world. But a historic visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the isolated country this week may represent a late thaw. In a step that could transform American diplomacy in the region, the U.S. and Myanmar are considering exchanging ambassadors. BBC correspondent Rachel Harvey reports on the latest from Clinton’s visit from Thailand. Dr. Zarni, founder of the Free Burma Coalition,  is a prominent figure in activism for democracy in Myanmar. He is currently a visiting fellow at the department of international development at the London School of Economics. He talks about the future of Myanmar.

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