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Newly Elected Suu Kyi Meets Burma's President

Wed, 11 April 2012 3:47PM

Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has held talks with President Thein Sein, the former general who led the military junta that kept the Nobel Peace laureate under house arrest.

The meeting was the first time since Suu Kyi was elected to parliament earlier this month. The pair met briefly in August 2011.

On her return to Yangon from the capital Naypyitaw, Suu Kyi told reporters "it was a good meeting".

A spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party (NLD), Nyan Win, said before the talks the pair were to discuss democratisation, parliamentary affairs and a peace process with ethnic rebels.

Thein Sein was a key figure in the military junta that ruled Burma for 49 years and was repeatedly challenged by Suu Kyi, who spent about 15 years under house arrest.

But he has presided over a wave of political reform after generals handed over their power to a civilian-led administration in March 2011.

Since then the country has seen government talks with rebel fighters, hundreds of political prisoners freed and an increase in trade union rights.

Last month, Suu Kyi's NLD won 43 of the 44 seats it contested in by-elections in March. 

It has become the main opposition force in a national parliament that remains dominated by the military and its political allies.

The president is said to be keen on having a strong NLD contingent in parliament to "improve the quality of its debates".

Burma also appears to be pulling back from the powerful economic and political orbit of its giant neighbour China.

These moves have been largely praised by the international community. EU ministers are due to discuss whether to relax sanctions against Burma over the coming weeks.

David Cameron will visit Burma on Friday and meet Aung San Suu Kyi as part of his East Asia trade mission.

He insists his visit to Burma will be exclusively "political" and not to promote arms deals or British businesses.

Cameron will be the first prime minister to visit the former British colony since 1955.

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