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David Cameron Arrives In Burma For Historic Visit

PA/The Huffington Post UK  |  Posted: 13/04/2012 06:57 Updated: 13/04/2012 08:38

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David Cameron arrived in Burma today in what is believed to be the first visit to the former colony by a British prime minister.

David Cameron arrived in Burma today in what is believed to be the first visit to the former colony by a British prime minister.

Upon his arrival the prime minister said Aung San Suu Kyi was "a shining example for people who yearn for freedom."

Speaking on the tarmac as he arrived in the new capital Naypyidaw, Mr Cameron said: "This country really matters. For decades it has suffered under a brutal dictatorship. It is also desperately poor. It doesn't have to be this way.

"There is a government now that says it is committed to reform, that has started to take steps, and I think it is right to encourage those steps."

During his historic visit, Mr Cameron is ready to signal the easing of sanctions against the country as he delivers a message of support to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in person.

He is also due to meet President Thein Sein and congratulate him on pushing through democratic reforms.

At a joint press conference earlier in Mr Cameron's trip to south Asia, Malaysian prime minister Najib Tun Razak urged his counterpart to relax sanctions.

Mr Najib, who recently held talks with Mr Thein in Burma, said: "I really do believe first of all that he is sincere.

"This has been supported by Aung San Suu Kyi's own personal remarks about him."
He said sanctions should be eased quickly in order to shore up the president's popularity.

"We need to support a man like President Thein Sein so he will be supported by the community, because there will be elements who want to take a much more conservative approach," Mr Najib added.

Mr Cameron said developments in Burma may be "one potential chapter of light" in a "world where there are many dark chapters in history being written".

"Of course we should be sceptical. Of course we should be questioning. Of course we shouldn't be naive," he said.

But he added: "Aung San Suu Kyi herself, who has spent so many years in such a long, lonely but powerful struggle, believes that he is acting in good faith."

Britain had played a "leading role" in the imposition of sanctions, and would also not be "backwards" in responding to positive changes, he added.


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David Cameron arrived in Burma today in what is believed to be the first visit to the former colony by a British prime minister. Upon his arrival the prime minister said Aung San Suu Kyi was "a shi...
David Cameron arrived in Burma today in what is believed to be the first visit to the former colony by a British prime minister. Upon his arrival the prime minister said Aung San Suu Kyi was "a shi...
 
 
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Huffington reporter
49 Fans
12:45 PM on 04/13/2012
No shortage of takers for the big Tory privatisation sell off! Roads, railways, hospitals. You'll be paying for everything and the usual rubbish service. Energy companies are just cartels. Water is a joke! Cameron and his rich bullingdon mates couldnt run a corner shop
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Joe Joe P
38 Fans
11:48 AM on 04/13/2012
Still on his world tour holiday at the tax payers expense then! Whats the next country? Note to self become a politician get free meals and travel expenses and free holidays. And decent pay! LOL!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wincanton man
108 Fans
09:14 PM on 04/13/2012
Yes, we do live in a Country where the choice is yours. If you want to become a politician, then why not put some hard work and effort into realising your ambition.
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Joe Joe P
38 Fans
11:21 PM on 04/13/2012
LOL! It was a joke! You would never get passed the 'Boys' Club.
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wincanton man
108 Fans
11:44 AM on 04/13/2012
This post has certainly dragged the Labour supporters from their beds this morning. I think the Tory supporters must all be at work.
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Roger Cottrell
95 Fans
11:15 AM on 04/13/2012
Historic visit? As in Bahrain we will arm and finance and make money out of your state repression so long as you make some cosme tic move towards democracy while the world's watching. And we will support your democracy movement providing IT supports the free market. If not we'll call them terrorists and support a crackdown. Sounds like business as usual for British Foreign Policy to me.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wincanton man
108 Fans
11:38 AM on 04/13/2012
Where on earth do you get all this vitriol from? You must be a very unhappy person.
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broadside
23 Fans
10:46 AM on 04/13/2012
A shining example for a people who yearn for freedom ? Come back to your own country Cameron, and you will see the same. When you have finished using our Armed Forces to establish fair and just governments in other countries, can you bring them home so that they can help us to get the same.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Blockem1
When will our politicians start putting policies
195 Fans
 
09:12 AM on 04/13/2012
Burma, is a rich country , minerals,oil,rich land and forrest so where has all the money gone ....it's sitting in Swiss bank accounts or other offshore banks in places like the Cayman Islands as the military has raped this country .. So let's hear about what he is going to do about this ... Nothing ! It's just a PR Stunt .
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oobuc5
12 Fans
08:55 AM on 04/13/2012
Making history as the man who crashed Britain into a MAD MAX SOCIETY under the guise of giving us his big society ,this must his attempt to get the Nobel peace prize ,and for those who dont know the origins Nobel made explosives and munitions it was said that after millions of people were killed with his products he had a change of heart so he created a charity others say the charity was a tax duct for the millions in profit ,between wars he did not make so much money but when the wars came he did very well .

Lord Kitchener was another one after getting millions killed with his plans at war no one wanted to know him so he opened a charity for soldiers called poppy day he had a nice tax free income from that one considering he was the one who got millions killed or injured in the first place .
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
nikki717
War...what is it good for?
1009 Fans
 
08:35 AM on 04/13/2012
He should be skewered
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mokgee
Sabu.Satsang, Samsara, Solitude...
127 Fans
07:54 AM on 04/13/2012
First of the block for deletion yet again by the HuffMods. There he goes the International Messiah, Dave Cameron, who is obviously seeking the International peace prize for his compassion to world peace. Sadly, his own country continues to deteriorate, where major decisions are being avoided, in the hope it will all be resolved when he retuns to the country who elected him. All of you Tory voters, must be quite embarrassed by your foolish decison to trust him and his party to put Britain, right, he and they didn't. And please do not say there is an alternative, there isn't, and you are all desperately aware of it, until you all change course away from the predictable 3..Britain will continue to deteriorate which we can all visisbly witness, because we are all the dustbin, which other people continue to tip their rubbish into......Letb us hope we have the good shift on duty today, those common sense people without bias or judgement......
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