Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Derek J. Mitchell, the first U.S. special representative and policy coordinator for Burma, will meet government officials in Naypyitaw on Friday and Saturday, followed by meetings in Rangoon.
US special representative to Burma Derek Mitchell. Photo: U.S. State Department
“His trip is intended to build upon U.S. dialogue and engagement toward shared goals of genuine reform, reconciliation and development for the Burmese people,” the U.S. Department of State said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Mitchell, who holds the rank of ambassador, will continue consultations in Rangoon from Saturday to Wednesday, according to the statement.
Since the military coup in Burma in September 1988, the U.S. has not appointed an ambassador to Burma, lowering the level of its diplomatic relationship with the country.
During his one-week trip, Mitchell will meet with a full spectrum of Burmese society, including government officials, members of political parties, local civil society organizations and others, the U.S. Department of State said.
National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman Nyan Win said the only information the NLD had about his trip was information from the media.
Regarding the policy of the U.S. toward Burma, Nyan Win said, “It is unlikely that it will be changed immediately.”
He said that the NLD and the U.S. embassy in Rangoon stayed in contact. When Mitchell was nominated as the U.S. special representative and policy coordinator for Burma, Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed the nomination and said that she hoped Burma would get genuine help.
After his visit, Mitchell will go to Thailand and Indonesia. He will consult with officials in Bangkok on Wednesday and Thursday and Jakarta on Friday and Saturday of next week.
Mitchell served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from April 2009 until August 2011, according to the Department of State website.
U.S. President Obama nominated Mitchell, who has extensive experience in Asia and China, as the US special representative and policy coordinator for Burma, and the Senate approved him on August 15.
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