A senior U.S. diplomat met with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party in Rangoon Friday, after a series of meetings with officials in the military government.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Joseph Yun is the first senior U.S. diplomat to visit Burma since the ruling generals released Aung San Suu Kyi from her latest term of house arrest last month.
The U.S. Embassy in Rangoon said Yun discussed ideas with the Nobel Peace Laureate on promoting reconciliation and dialogue. The meeting marked the end of Yun's four-day visit.
Aung San Suu Kyi's release came on November 13, after Burma held its first democratic election in two decades.
Critics accuse the Burmese military of stealing the November 7 election by imposing rules that prevented opposition groups from competing effectively against military-allied parties.
U.S. President Barack Obama criticized Burma's election as "neither free nor fair." But his administration has engaged in dialogue with Burmese leaders since last year, after concluding that Western efforts to isolate them were not working.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
