Sunday, August 16, 2009

US senator meets Myanmar's junta chief, Aung San Suu Kyi - Summary

Sat, 15 Aug 2009
DPA

Yangon - US Senator Jim Webb, on a mission to "re-engage" Washington in South-East Asia, met Myanmar's military supremo as well as detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi Saturday, government officials said. Webb, a Democrat from Virginia who is chairman of the US Senate's East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, arrived in Myanmar's military capital, Naypyitaw, Friday when he held talks with Prime Minister Than Sein and government-backed civil organizations.
On Saturday, Webb met with junta chief Senior General Than Shwe, making him the first US politician to have a personal chat with the military supremo since he assumed power in 1992.
After meeting Than Shwe, Webb flew on to Yangon where he met with Nobel peace prize laureate Suu Kyi at a government guest house, government sources said.
Suu Kyi was taken under army guard from her house-cum-prison for the brief meeting.

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