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\f0\b\fs24 \cf2 BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY \b0 \
\b ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS \b0 \
\ Fresh off his reelection, President Barack
Obama is set to embark on a three-country trip to Asia later this month \'97 including
a historic stop in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.\
\uc0\u8232 \b \'93A first for an American president.
Burma, in Southeast Asia, has been ruled by a military dictatorship for 50 years, but
recently it has taken steps toward democracy. The president\'92s trip is a reward for that.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \ In the past year, formerly isolated Myanmar
has undergone some reforms \'97 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/18/world/asia/myanmar-prisoner-release/index.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 releasing political prisoners}}...\uc0\u8232 \
\'97 including the symbol of its opposition movement {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11749661"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 against the military junta}}, Aung San Suu Kyi \'a0\'97 \'a0\
...while also relaxing some {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burmese-junta-relaxes-access-to-foreign-websites-2356125.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 censorship laws}}.\uc0\u8232 \
But the changes have been called{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443713704577599240759692770.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \'93fragile,\'94}}\uc0\u8232 \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/212227c0-baf5-11e1-81e0-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2BgPw6dPR"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 with Suu Kyi herself warning}}
\b \'93too many people were expecting too much of Myanmar.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/08/obama-burma-visit-aung-san"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 According to The Guardian}},
critics of Obama\'92s planned trip say his visit \'97 considered to be
\b \'93the most significant endorsement yet by the international community of Burmese
reforms and its government\'94 \'97 \b0 might be happening a little too early.\uc0\u8232
\ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/8/obama-visit-myanmar-this-month/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz2BgZiMK4E"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 The Washington Times quotes}}
a letter to Obama from a prominent Burmese activist, urging the president not to stop
by just yet, citing the military\'92s ongoing war against rebels.\
\ To boot, the activist also said
\b \'93freed political prisoners are vulnerable to being arrested again,\'94
\b0 adding that {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/08/florida-still-in-question-as-officials-count-absentee-provisional-ballots/"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 \'93}} \b the military still dominates the economy
and politics. \b0 ... \'91
\b I seriously doubt to call this situation a transition to democracy.\'92\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/world/asia/obama-to-visit-myanmar.html"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 The New York Times says}} the
visit to Southeast Asia as Obama\'92s first since the reelection is a symbolic gesture
to China.\uc0\u8232 \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240
\b \cf2 \'93[The trip allows] Mr. Obama to underscore his commitment to [Southeast Asia].
[It] fits into a larger geopolitical chess game by the Obama administration, which has
sought to counter rising Chinese assertiveness by engaging its neighbors.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \ In addition to Myanmar, Obama\'92s trip is
planned to include stops in Cambodia and Thailand.\ }