Burma at the Crossroads

It was only four years ago that President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to visit Burma. This followed Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” campaign promise, and has since led to an easing of sanctions against the country and multiple meetings with Nobel Peace Prize-winning Burmese icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other national leaders.

Undoubtedly, the Burmese government has taken some significant steps toward reform, most notably releasing Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and giving her a seat in Parliament. But in recent months, there’s been what many consider a backslide. The government has cracked down hard on student protests and there are ongoing cases of severe and unyielding religious persecution, especially against the Muslim minority in the western part of the country.

On this episode of America Abroad, we examine the history, politics, and promise of this nation in transition.